The Legend of Zelda: The Phoenix and the Dragon
by HyruleKing
Summary: When dark nightmares begin to plague the King of Hyrule, he realizes that he must find two new Sages: The Sages of Life and Death. At the same time, Seto Kaiba gathers the world's best duelists for a new tournament: The KaibaCorp Grand Prix.
1. Prologue: Dark Awakening

**The Legend of Zelda: The Phoenix and the Dragon**

_It's been three months since the Hyrule Cup tournament ended. The Sages of Hyrule have stepped up to their rightful places and have kept the darkness at bay since the defeat of Twinrova. However, since the defeat of Twinrova, one Sage has been plagued with nightmares and dark visions…_

**PROLOGUE: Dark Awakening**

_A brown-haired, blue-eyed young man about the age of 23 stood in a small field in the south of Hyrule. To his north was the glistening white Hyrule Castle. To his east was the tall volcano known as Death Mountain. To his west was Hyrule's water source, Lake Hylia, and beyond it was the desert known as Gerudo. And to his south was the forests of the Ordona and Faron Provinces._

_The young man was the monarch of Hyrule, King CJ Francis, and also the Sage to Hyrule's Shadow Temple, one of the 10 residents of Hyrule tasked with protecting the balance of magic, nature and power in Hyrule by the goddesses themselves. He looked to the sky at the dark clouds that gathered over Hyrule and gasped as lightning began to strike all around him. It was then that a fierce earthquake struck the kingdom and a large crack split the kingdom in half, causing the town surrounding Hyrule Castle to crumble in to the depths of the planet._

"_Oh no!" CJ gasped. Death Mountain then exploded and lava covered the defenseless Kakariko Village at the base of the volcano. Suddenly, a beam of golden light erupted from the forests in the south of Hyrule, and a dark beam arose from the desert. The lightning and the lava ceased, and the chasm sealed itself as Castle Town returned to its rightful place._

CJ then awoke in his bedroom in Hyrule Castle. Laying next to him was a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman about the age of 19. She was Stacey Francis, CJ's wife, Sage to Hyrule's Water Temple, and the Queen of Hyrule. CJ reached over to his nightstand, put on his glasses and climbed out of bed. He walked over to the nearby window and looked outside at the sun rising over his kingdom.

_Sunny skies… _CJ thought. Stacey then opened her eyes and looked at CJ.

"You okay, hun?" She asked.

"Yeah…" CJ said quietly.

"You're lying." Stacey said. "What's wrong?"

"I had another one of my dreams last night." CJ said.

"The one where Hyrule is falling apart?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah." CJ said. "But it was different this time. I was standing in Hyrule Field. Castle Town was swallowed by an earthquake and Kakariko was destroyed by an eruption of Death Mountain. But, this time, two beams of light appeared in my dream. One was golden and it came from the forest. The other was dark and came from the desert."

"What do you think it meant?" Stacey asked.

"I'm not too sure." CJ said. "But, I do know one thing… If there's darkness on the horizon, there's a good chance it has something to do with the Sages. One of our friends, or worse… one of us, may be in danger. I need to go to check on everyone."

"Okay. I'm coming with you." Stacey said.

"I wasn't giving you the option, hun." CJ chuckled. His look then became more serious. "I'm not taking the chance of something happening to you while I'm out checking on the other Sages."

"Oh… okay." Stacey said.

_**A short time later…**_

CJ and Stacey walked into a small building in Ordon City, a small city nestled in Hyrule's southern woods. A sign outside read "Moto Game Shop". Inside waited several people. The first, standing behind a counter with a cash register, was a young man about 22 with purple eyes, spiked black hair with red tip and blond bangs in a blue t-shirt and jeans. He was Yugi Moto, the famous Duel Monsters player who was once "King of Games".

Next to him was a blue-eyed young woman about the same age as him. She had shoulder-length brown hair and wore a gray tank top and jean shorts. She was Tea Moto, Yugi's wife and Sage to Hyrule's Temple of Light.

Standing near a shelf of trading card booster packs and tins were two young men and a young woman. The young men were about the same age as Yugi and Tea. The young woman was about 19. The first young man had brown eyes, brown hair that was spiked in the front, and he wore a black jacket, gray t-shirt and jeans. He was Tristan Taylor, one of Yugi's best friends. The young woman had reddish-blond hair, brown eyes, and wore a pink t-shirt and jean shorts. She was Serenity Wheeler, Tristan's girlfriend and Sage to Hyrule's Ice Temple. The other young man had blond hair, brown eyes and wore a white t-shirt, jeans and dog tags. He was Joey Wheeler, Tristan's best friend, Serenity's brother and Sage to Hyrule's Earth Temple.

Yugi noticed CJ and waved.

"Hey CJ. Hey Stacey. What's up, guys?" Yugi asked.

"CJ had another one of his dreams last night." Stacey said.

"You too?" Tea asked. CJ looked at her.

"Wait… You had it too?" CJ asked.

"Yeah. I was standing in the Sacred Realm, looking out at a vision of all of Hyrule. Castle Town was swallowed into a chasm…" Tea said.

"…Death Mountain exploded…" CJ said.

"…a beam of light shot out of the desert…" Serenity added.

"…and another one from the forest." Joey finished. Tea and CJ looked at Joey and Serenity with shock.

"So, I'm not the only one…" A new voice said. Everyone turned to the door and saw a young woman about 24 or 25 years old with blonde hair, purple eyes, and wearing a purple vest, white tube top and purple skirt. She was Mai Valentine, Joey's girlfriend and Sage to Hyrule's Wind Temple.

"Hm… So we all had the same dream…" CJ wondered. "Strange…" It was then that two more people walked into the shop. The first was a brown-haired, blue-eyed young woman about 19 or 20 in a black t-shirt and jeans. She had glasses on, as well as a silver necklace in the shape of a dragon. Next to her was a blue-eyed young man about the age of 23 or 24 with light brown hair and glasses, dressed in a green t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey, guys." The young man said. He was Mike Polito, Sage to Hyrule's Forest Temple.

"Hey, Mike. What's up?" Joey asked.

"Just coming to get some cards." The young woman said. She was Sarah Polito, Mike's wife and Sage to Hyrule's Spirit Temple.

"Hey, Sarah." Stacey said. "Good to see you guys are okay."

"Wait, why?" Sarah asked. "What's wrong?"

"I had another one of my dreams last night." CJ said. "But, this time, so did Joey, Tea, Serenity, and Mai."

"You had the dream too?" Yet another voice said. Everyone turned and saw a blond-haired, blue-eyed young woman about the age of 18 in a black t-shirt, jeans and glasses. She was Layla Thompson, bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom and Sage to Hyrule's Temple of Time.

"Wait a sec, Layla… You had it?" CJ asked.

"The one where Hyrule was being ravaged by an earthquake and Death Mountain erupted?" Layla asked.

"Yeah." CJ said. "That's the one… I thought maybe it meant that one of the Sages was in trouble, but since so many of you guys had the same dream, it must have meant something else."

"Wait…" Stacey said. "What about Janelle?"

"Let's head up Death Mountain." CJ said. "We'll catch you guys later."

A short time later, CJ and Stacey walked into a small cavernous city. Small doorways were dug into the walls, leading to cavernous houses and shops. Walking around the city were large humanoid creatures with rock-like skin, known as Gorons. CJ and Stacey ran down a few sets of stairs until they reached the lowest level of the city. They walked through a large doorway into a room where a young woman about the age of 16 waited. She had short brown hair that was cut in a pixie cut, brown eyes, and she wore a red t-shirt and jean shorts. She was Janelle Dow, Stacey's sister and Sage to Hyrule's Fire Temple.

"Hey, Stacey." Janelle said. "What's up?"

"We wanted to make sure you were okay." Stacey said.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Janelle asked.

"CJ, and a few of the other Sages, had a dream where Death Mountain erupted." Stacey said.

"I thought it meant one of the Sages was in danger, but I guess it must mean something else." CJ said.

"Why does it have to mean something?" Janelle asked. "Why can't it just be a dream?"

"The goddesses use dreams as a way to communicate with Hylians, most often the Sages." CJ said. He then looked at Stacey. "Hun, I need to head back to Hyrule Castle."

"Okay." Stacey said. "We'll see you later, Janelle."

_**Later, in Hyrule Castle's library…**_

CJ reached up to a nearby shelf and grabbed a book titled "Legends of the Ancient Sages".

"This may give us the answers we need." CJ said.

"How?" Stacey asked.

"This book holds all the legends of the Ancient Sages." CJ said. He opened the book and, as if to answer his questions, he found a page that held a picture of two Sages standing in the Temple of Time. The first was red-haired, golden-eyed Gerudo woman in purple robes. Next to her was a young man with blond hair, blue eyes and dressed in a golden robe.

"Who are they?" Stacey asked.

"I don't know…" CJ said. "That red-haired woman is likely a Gerudo… Maybe the Sage of Spirit. But I don't know anything about that man."

"Can you read that text on his arm?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah…" CJ said, examining the text. "It reads 'Link'."

"Like the legendary heroes?" Stacey asked.

"I'm not sure… But… Something seems familiar." CJ said. "Like I've read about him before. In a legend… about an ancient tribe."

"What about the Gerudo?" Stacey asked. "She has text on her arm too."

"Yeah… It reads 'Midna'." CJ said.

"What if she's the same Midna from the Twilight Realm and not a Gerudo?" Stacey asked.

"Possibly…" CJ said. "… But, I've researched the family trees of all 10 Sages, and I've never seen them."

"_That is because those are Sages that no longer walk through Hyrule…"_ A new voice said. CJ gasped as a red-haired woman in a red gown and surrounded by a golden glow appeared before him and Stacey. The two quickly fell to a knee and bowed before the woman.

"O Great Din, goddess of Power…" CJ said. "What do you mean?"

"Stand, my children." Din said. CJ and Stacey stood. "Those two Sages are the Ancient Sages of Life and Death… In fact, they are the only Sages of Life and Death."

"Wait… Life and Death?" CJ asked.

"Yes. When we golden goddesses first created Hyrule, there were 12 Sages… Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, Shadow, Spirit, Time, Ice, Forest, Life and Death… However, during ancient times, the Sages of Life and Death were lost."

"How?" CJ asked.

"You see… the Sage of Life was a man by the name of Link… from the ancient Oocca tribe."

"Wait… The Oocca were once human?" CJ asked.

"Yes." Din said. "For you see, the ancient Hero of Men from Skyloft was also the Sage of Life. He saved the surface world, which became Hyrule, and he served as its king next to Zelda. However, when their children were born, his son could only inherit the Triforce in part from his father…"

"The Prince from legends was the Sage of Life…" CJ realized.

"Yes, and when he cast the sleeping curse on his sister, he was stripped of his Sage power and the bloodline was hidden away, only to be awakened when the time was needed. The bloodline passed down through the generations of the Heroes, one of whom went on to marry the Sage of the Forest, Saria…" Din said.

"What about the Sage of Death?" Stacey asked.

"The Sage of Death, although she was a Sage, was a part of the movement of the Dark Interlopers who tried to take control of the Sacred Realm." Din said.

"The Sage of Death was a Twili?" CJ gasped.

"Yes… Even in the Twilight Realm, however, the Sage of Death passed on her line like the Sage of Life had done, and her history was also forgotten." Din said. "Centuries later, a descendant of the Sage, a Twili named Zant who served the Royal Family of the Twilight Realm, was chosen by the King of Evil as a vessel to return to Hyrule. Zant used his ancestor's power to travel back and forth between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm and obtain the power needed to revive Ganon. During this time, Zant had a child with a young Gerudo woman. Even though this child was the seed of Zant, we allowed the boy to live in Hyrule instead of the Twilight Realm because of his Gerudo mother."

"Wow…" CJ said. "But… that doesn't explain my dream…"

"Because both the descendants of the Sages of Life and Death have been living in Hyrule for some time, the power has begun to reawaken." Din said. "After the Sages were lost, we sealed their powers deep below Hyrule, in two separate temples: The Temple of Life, deep beneath the Lost Woods, and the Temple of Death, deep beneath the sands of Gerudo. However, when Maximillion Pegasus first visited Hyrule, he found these temples, and he transferred the Sages' spirits into two cards: The Sacred Phoenix and The Cursed Dragon. But the cards vanished after Pegasus finished creating them."

"Okay… There's two new Sages…" CJ said. "That explains why Hyrule was falling into chaos in my dream. But, what about those two beams of… Wait! The light from the forest must mean that the Sage of Life lives in the forest… And if the temple is below the Lost Woods… Then the Sage of Life must be a Kokiri."

"That is correct." Din said.

"So, the Sage of Death must be a Gerudo, since the Twili were a group of people born of both Gerudo and Sheikah blood, and no other Sheikah remain other than myself." CJ said.

"Yes." Din said. "It's now up to you to find the Sages of Life and Death and restore balance to Hyrule."

"But, how will I know the Sages when I see them?" CJ asked.

"I cannot tell you that…." Din said before vanishing.

"Great…" CJ said.

"_Of course… Once again, it was up to me to find more Sages. I guess it made sense… I was the King of Hyrule, so I guess it should be up to me to find those who would protect my kingdom from the forces of evil, but I still wish I didn't have to…"_


	2. The Grand Prix Begins

**CHAPTER ONE: The Grand Prix Begins**

The next day, everyone stood in a small field just outside of Ordon City. CJ and Joey were wearing their Duel Disks and standing face-to-face.

"Ready to duel, Joey?" CJ asked.

"Oh yeah!" Joey said. "I've been itching for a good duel!"

"Okay! I'll start! I summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (ATK: 1500)." CJ said, summoning a spear-wielding man in a black robe. "Next, I lay one card face down and end my turn."

"I activate Card Destruction!" Joey said. "Now, we toss our entire hands to the graveyard and draw the same number of cards from our deck that we threw out. Next, I summon Comrade Swordsman of Landstar (ATK: 500)." Then, a peach colored marshmallow-like humanoid warrior in brown armor appeared on the field. "And, thanks to his effect, all my warriors gain 400 attack, including him (ATK: 900). Next, I equip him with Lightning Blade (ATK: 1700)."

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your blade and your Swordsman's power boost (ATK: 900)." CJ said.

"I end my turn by playing Nightmare's Steelcage!" Joey said, as a steel cage surrounded the field. "Now, neither of us can attack for two turns. Go."

"I throw a monster in defense mode." CJ said. "Go."

"I equip my Swordsman with Legendary Sword (ATK: 1200)." Joey said. "Go."

"I sacrifice my Spear Soldier and my face-down Gravekeeper's Spy to summon Ancient Sage of Shadow (ATK: 2800)." CJ said, summoning a man in a white robe surrounded by a purple aura. "And thanks to my Spy's ability, I can special summon Gravekeeper's Assailant (ATK: 1500)." Then, a person in a black cloak and carrying a dagger appeared on the field. "Go."

"I summon Copycat (ATK: 0)!" Joey said, summoning a creature in a green bodysuit, blue cape and holding a mirror up to its face. "And thanks to its ability, I can copy your Sage's points (ATK: 2800). Copycat, attack the Ancient Sage of Shadow!" CJ watched as both monsters exploded. "Next, I lay a card face down and end my turn."

"I activate Brain Control!" CJ said. "I play 800 life points (LP: 4000 – 800) to take control of your Swordsman! Now, my monsters, attack!"

_No! I can't activate my trap card now!_ Joey thought, as both monsters struck him (LP: 4000 – 2700).

"And with that, I end my turn." CJ said. "So, you get your Swordsman back."

"I summon Rocket Warrior (ATK: 1500)!" Joey said, summoning a green rocket-like monster. "Rocket Warrior, switch into your Invincible Mode and attack Gravekeeper's Assailant! And, thanks to his Invincible Mode, Rocket Warrior will survive this battle. But since he has 1500 points, your Assailant won't!"

_Nice move..._ CJ thought, as his assailant was destroyed.

"Swordsman, attack!" Joey said. CJ stumbled back as he was attacked (LP: 3200 – 1200).

_I'm shocked that CJ didn't have a trap down to stop that._ Yugi thought.

"Your move." Joey said.

"I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" CJ said. "So, you won't be attacking me for three turns. Next, I summon Gravekeeper's Curse (ATK: 800)!" Then, a man with brown dreadlocks in a gray robe appeared on the field. "And, thanks to his curse, you lose 500 life points."

"What?" Joey gasped (LP: 1300 – 500).

"Go." CJ said.

"I sacrifice my Comrade Swordsman of Landstar in order to summon Jinzo (ATK: 2400)!" Joey said, summoning a humanoid machine in green armor. "Your move."

"I switch Curse to defense mode (DEF: 800)." CJ said. "Go."

"I pass." Joey said.

"I activate Graceful Charity." CJ said. "I draw three cards and discard two." CJ pulled three cards and tossed two. "Next, I sacrifice Gravekeeper's Curse to summon Gravekeeper's Visionary (ATK: 2000)!" Then, a monster with a mask shaped like a wolf garbed in an Egyptian-style robe appeared on the field. "And he gains 200 points for each Gravekeeper in my graveyard (ATK: 3200)."

"3200 points?" Tea gasped.

"And that's why he won my title." Yugi said.

"Visionary, attack Jinzo!" CJ said.

"Uh-oh…" Joey said, as CJ's monster attacked, destroying his Jinzo and the rest of his life points.

"It looks like I win, Joey." CJ said.

"Yup." Joey said. It was then that the sound of helicopter blades filled the air. Everyone looked up and saw a black chopper with the letters "KC" on the side.

"That looks like a KaibaCorp chopper…" Yugi said. The helicopter landed nearby and a young man about 15 or 16 stepped out. He had shoulder-length, messy black hair, blue eyes and he wore a black t-shirt and jeans.

"Mokuba? What are you doing here?" Joey asked.

"Seto wanted me to come get you guys." The boy, Mokuba Kaiba, said. "Today's the grand opening of the newest branch of Kaiba Land, here in Hyrule. Seto wants to kick things off with a championship tournament, with some of the strongest duelists from around the world."

"Nice. There better be an invitation for me!" Joey said.

"As a matter of fact, I have an invitation for several of you… Yugi, Joey, Mai, CJ, Stacey and Castle Town's newest regional champ… Layla." Mokuba said, holding out six envelopes.

"Nice job, Layla." CJ said. "You've already hit the pro circuit in Kaiba's eyes. Now that's saying something."

"So when does this tournament kick off?" Joey asked.

"As soon as I get you guys back to Kaiba Land." Mokuba said.

"Wait a sec! You mean Rich Boy expects us to just drop everything to compete in his tournament?" Joey snapped. "Oh yeah! Another chance to beat the pants off of him!"

"Well then, let's get going." CJ said. Everyone boarded the helicopter, bound for Kaiba Land.

A short time later, the chopper flew over a large amusement park just east of Castle Town. Several of the rides resembled the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and several of the food stands were Duel Monsters themed.

"Wow… Look at this place…" Joey said.

"Enjoy yourselves in the park, guys." Mokuba said. "The opening ceremonies will begin tonight. Don't be late or Seto will disqualify you."

_**That night…**_

A large group of spectators stood in a dining hall in somewhere in Kaiba Land. A KaibaCorp employee in a suit walked out onto a stage at the end of the room. Behind him was curtain. It opened and revealed the duelists competing in the tournament.

"May I have your attention, please?" The KC employee said. "This game will go down in history. For this is the most prestigious Duel Monsters tournament ever to be organized. Welcome to the KaibaCorp Grand Championship! We've assembled the greatest duelists from around the world…"

Everyone looked at a blond-haired, green-eyed girl in a pink t-shirt and jean shorts. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. She smiled and waved at the crowd.

"First up, one of the youngest tournament duelists in Hyrule… Shaylene Johnson!" The KC employee, Roland, said.

_Kaiba invited Shaylene into the tournament?_ CJ wondered. _Whoa…_

"Next, he's Hyrule's youngest regional championship… hailing from Gerudo Desert… Samuel Carlson!" Roland said, pointing to a red-haired, golden-eyed young man about 15 years old.

Roland then pointed to a young black man about the age of 19 in a black t-shirt and jeans. "Seeing isn't always believing… He's the U.S. National Champ and master Spellcaster duelist, Dayan Lindor!"

"And… He won't let anything rust his passion for dueling… Machine duelist and Eastern U.S. Regional Champ Alex Logan!" Roland said, pointing to another young black man about 20 years old in a red t-shirt and jeans.

Everyone watched as a white-haired young man about 21 years old, wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt and jeans stepped forward. "He's the 'final' duelist you'll face in any tournament, and the end of the duel will be your 'destiny'… Ryo Bakura, known simply as Bakura!"

"He's the master of traps… and trap monsters… Odion Ishtar!" Roland pointed to a tan-skinned bald man in a navy blue muscle shirt and tan khaki pants. Next to him was a tan-skinned young man in a black muscle shirt and tan pants. He had spiked silver hair and indigo eyes.

"And, the master of burn damage… Marik Ishtar!" Roland called out.

"Whoa…" Yugi mumbled. "Marik's in the tournament? Cool… I hope we face-off."

"Next up… he's the creator of Duel Monsters, the former President of Industrial Illusions… Maximillion Pegasus!" Roland called out, pointing to a blue-eyed man about 30 years old with shoulder length silver hair in a red suit.

"He's the best duelist out there… our very own, Mr. Seto Kaiba!" Roland called out, pointing to a brown-haired, blue-eyed young man about 22 years old in a long silver coat, black shirt and black pants. He wore a black belt with a silver buckle bearing the letters "KC".

"Next… She's the Sage of Wind in Hyrule, and the master of wind monsters… the Harpie Duelist, Mai Valentine!" Roland called out.

"Oh yeah! Go Mai!" A few audience members shouted.

"And next up, the youngest U.S. Regional Champ ever to strap on a Duel Disk… Rebecca Hawkins!" Roland yelled. "And next to her is our overwhelming underdog… Joey Wheeler!"

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed. "I'm a contender!"

"She's the Sage of Time, the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom and the Castle Town Regional Champ… Layla Thompson!" Roland said. Layla smiled and waved to the crowd.

Stacey, CJ and Yugi then stepped forward.

"They're the top three duelists in Hyrule… First, he's the third best duelist in Hyrule and the former King of Games… Yugi Moto!"

"Hi, everyone!" Yugi said.

"Next, she's the Queen of Hyrule, the Sage of Water, second best duelist and the master of water monsters… Stacey Francis!" Roland called out. Stacey smiled and waved to everyone. "And, last by not least, he's the top duelist in Hyrule… in the world, in fact… He's a royally powerful duelist for more than one reason… He's the Sage of Shadow, master of Gravekeepers, President of Industrial Illusions, King of Hyrule and King of Games… CJ Francis!" CJ smiled. "Say a few words, Your Majesty!" CJ stepped up and grabbed the mic.

"Well, everyone, welcome to Kaiba Land. This theme park, built by KaibaCorp, funded in part by Industrial Illusions, and authorized by me, marks the beginning of a new era here in Hyrule…The Era of Duelists!" CJ said. "This championship tournament will see if anyone can claim my title and step up as the new King…" He looked at Stacey, Rebecca and Shaylene. "Or Queen… of Games! So, let the games begin!"


	3. Millennium Rematch

**CHAPTER THREE: Millennium Rematch**

"The next match of the tournament… taking place underneath the Burst Stream of Destruction Roller Coaster… Yugi Moto VS Bakura!" The large screen in the Kaiba Dome cut to a picture of a roller coaster with cars shaped like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Below it was a small pool of water surrounded by a large field. Standing in the field were Yugi and Bakura.

"Ready for a rematch, Bakura?" Yugi asked.

"Yes. And this time, maybe things will go smoothly." Bakura chuckled.

"Oh yeah." Yugi said. _For once, I'm dueling in a tournament where the fate of the world isn't at stake…_

The rest of Yugi's friends, and most of the competitors, stood nearby, anxious to see the duel.

_I can't tell Yugi about the other two Sages._ CJ thought. _I know he's always wanted to duel in a tournament where the fate of the world isn't at stake… Of course, this tournament won't actually decided the fate of the world… I'm just dueling in this tournament in the hopes of finding the new Sages. There's no guarantee that I will…_

"Ready, Bakura?" Yugi asked.

"Of course." Bakura said, his British accent being noticeable.

"I summon Yellow Gadget (ATK: 1200)." Yugi said, summoning a yellow gear machine monster. "And this lets me add Green Gadget from my deck to my hand. Your move."

"I summon Zombyra the Dark (ATK: 2100) and lay a card face down." Bakura said, summoning a warrior in blue armor and a red cape. "Next, I play Dark Designator, forcing you to add Dark Magician to your hand. Finally, I play Exchange!"

"Now they each take a card from each other's hands." CJ said.

"I'll take your Dark Magician." Bakura said.

"And I'll take Chopman the Desperate Outlaw." Yugi said.

"Zombyra, attack!" Bakura said. Yugi watched as his gadget was blown apart (LP: 4000 – 900). "Now, because Zombyra destroyed a monster, it gets weaker (ATK: 2100 – 200). Go."

"I summon a monster in defense mode and lay one card face down." Yugi said. "Go."

"Zombyra, attack the defense!" Bakura said.

"There goes your Chopman." Yugi said, as Zombyra was weakened (ATK: 1900 – 200).

"Your move." Bakura said.

"I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (ATK: 1700)." Yugi said, summoning a yellow warrior monster with magnets on its hand. "Attack!"

"They'll both be destroyed!" Joey said.

"Reveal trap: Skill Successor!" Bakura said. "Now, my Zombyra gains 400 attack points until the end of the turn (ATK: 2100)!" Yugi gasped as his Beta was destroyed (LP: 3100 – 400) and Zombyra was weakened (ATK: 2100 – 200).

"I end my turn." Yugi said, as Zombyra was weakened again (ATK: 1900 – 400).

"I sacrifice Zombyra the Dark in order to summon the Earl of Demise (ATK: 2000)!" Bakura said, summoning blue-skinned zombie in a red suit. "Attack Yugi directly!"

"Reveal trap: Mirror Force!" Yugi said. "So there goes your monster."

"Your move." Bakura said.

"I summon Magician's Valkyria (AT: 1600)." Yugi said, summoning a blondish-red-headed female mage in green armor. "Attack Bakura directly!" Bakura stumbled as Yugi's mage attacked him (LP: 4000 – 1600).

"I pass." Bakura said.

"I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (ATK: 1500)." Yugi said, summoning a brown beast with a single horn on its head. "Valkryia, attack Bakura directly!" Bakura stumbled as Valkyria attacked him (LP: 2400 – 1600).

"Thanks, Yugi." Bakura said. "Since I just took damage, I can Special Summon Gorz the Emissary of Darkness (ATK: 2700), who lets me summon a Emissary of Darkness Token with attack is equal to the damage I took (ATK: 1600)." Then, a red-haired warrior in black armor and a red cape appeared on the field. Then, a smaller version of the warrior appeared on the field next to him.

"I end my turn by playing Swords of Revealing Light!" Yugi said.

"I play Change of Heart to control your Valkyria." Bakura said. "Next, I'll sacrifice your Valkyria and my Token to summon Dark Magician (ATK: 2500)."

"Oh no! It's Yugi's best monster!" Joey said.

"Your move, Yugi." Bakura said.

"I activate Gold Sarcophagus to remove one card from play for two turns." Yugi said. "Next, I switch Gazelle to defense mode (DEF: 1200) and lay another monster in defense mode. Go."

"I pass." Bakura said.

"I lay a monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Go."

"I pass again." Bakura said.

"My Gold Sarcophagus now opens and I get my card." Yugi said. "Next, I play Black Luster Ritual and sacrifice Magician of Black Chaos from my hand to summon Black Luster Soldier (ATK: 3000)!" Bakura gasped as a red-haired warrior in navy blue armor appeared on Yugi's field. "Black Luster Soldier, attack Dark Magician!" Bakura watched as Yugi's mage was destroyed by the soldier (LP: 800 – 500). "Your move." 

"Oh yeah!" Joey cheered. "Yug just turned things around!"

"I sacrifice Gorz to summon Invitation to a Dark Sleep (ATK: 1500)." Bakura said, summoning a monster in a dark cloak. "Now, as long as this is face-up, Black Luster Soldier can't attack. Finally, I lay a card face down. Go."

"My turn." Yugi said.

"And I activate my trap: Destiny Board!" Bakura said, as a letter "F" appeared above him, surrounded by white flames.

"I summon a defense monster and activate Card of Sanctity!" Yugi said. "Now, we draw until we have 6 cards. And with that, I end my turn."

"And I activate Spirit Message 'I'!" Bakura said, as the letter "I" appeared above him. "And I lay one monster in defense mode. Go."

"I sacrifice a face down monster and summon a monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Go."

"Now I play Spirit Message 'N'!" Bakura said. "Next, I lay a card face down. Go."

"My turn!" Yugi said.

"And I activate Just Desserts!" Bakura said, "Dealing you 2500 points of damage!" Yugi gasped as his life points were hit by a mysterious force (LP: 2700 – 2500).

"I pass." Yugi said.

"So I can now activate Spirit Message 'A'!" Bakura said. "One more turn and I'll have won the duel, Yugi."

_Wow… Bakura's a pretty good duelist…_ Yugi thought.

"I sacrifice my defense to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des (ATK: 2450)." Bakura said, summoning a green-skinned fiend in a gold robe. "Attack Gazelle!" Yugi watched as his monster exploded. "Go."

"I summon Queen's Knight (ATK: 1500)." Yugi said, summoning a blond-haired female mage in red armor. "Attack the Invitation to a Dark Sleep!" Bakura watched as his monster was destroyed, followed by Yugi's knight. "Now, my Black Luster Soldier can attack your Dark Ruler!" Everyone watched as Yugi's soldier destroyed Bakura's Dark Ruler and the rest of his life points. The holograms then faded as Bakura fell to his knees.

"Aw man… I was so close." He said.

"Good duel, Bakura." Yugi said. "You almost had me there."

"But I have one question…" Bakura said. "Why didn't you use Gazelle to take out my Dark Sleep earlier in the duel?"

Yugi revealed one of his face down monsters. "I had Berformet face-down. I was waiting to draw Polymerization so I could summon my Chimera."

"Oh… I see…" Bakura said.

"But that was a great move using Exchange to steal my Dark Magician." Yugi said.

Bakura smiled. "Thanks."

_**Back at the Kaiba Dome…**_

"And the winner… Yugi Moto!" Roland exclaimed. The crowd erupted in cheers.

_Not bad, Yugi… Not bad at all… But when the time comes, you won't beat me… Especially without the god cards…_ Kaiba thought.


	4. The Cursed Dragon

**CHAPTER FOUR: The Cursed Dragon**

In the Kaiba Dome, Roland faced the crowd and pointed to the screen above them.

"Next up, facing off in the Haunted Shadow Temple… U.S . National Champ Dayan Lindor and Gerudo Regional Champ Samuel Carlson!"

"I'll start us off!" Samuel said, drawing his first hand. "I throw a monster in defense mode and lay a card face down. Go."

"I toss two cards face down, activate Swords of Revealing Light and summon Mystic Tomato (ATK: 1400)!" Dayan said, summoning a ghoulish-looking tomato. "Go."

"I summon Zombie Master (ATK: 1800)." Samuel said, summoning a ghoulish young man in tattered robes. "Go."

"I play Brain Control (LP: 4000 – 800) and take your Zombie Master." Dayan said. "Next, I sacrifice your Zombie Master and…"

"I don't think so!" Samuel said. "I play Compulsory Evacuation Device! This returns Zombie Master to my hand!"

"I end my turn." Dayan said.

"I play Card Destruction!" Samuel said. "Now, we must throw out our hands and draw the same number of cards from our decks." Then, both duelists refreshed their hands. "Next, I activate Zombie World! Now, all monsters on our fields and in our graveyards are Zombies."

"What?" Dayan exclaimed.

"Now, I sacrifice my face-down Pyramid Turtle to summon Red Eyes Zombie Dragon (ATK: 2400)." Samuel said, summoning a large black zombie dragon. "Next, I equip my dragon with Violet Crystal, giving it a power boost (ATK: 2700)! And I'll end my turn with a face-down."

"I play Premature Burial (LP: 3200 – 800) to bring back the card your forced me to discard last turn… Endymion, the Master Magician (ATK: 2700)!" Dayan said, summoning a mage in black armor and a purple cape. "Next, I use Dust Tornado to destroy your Violet Crystal, weakening your Red Eyes (ATK: 2700 – 300). Endymion, attack!"

"Activate trap: Widespread Ruin!" Samuel said.

"Wrong! Reveal Trap Jammer!" Dayan said, as his mage destroyed Samuel's dragon (LP: 4000 – 300). "Go."

"I activate Card of Sanctity!" Samuel said. "Now, we each draw until we have six cards in our hand. Next, I play Field Barrier and Call of the Mummy! Now, my Zombie World is protected from being destroyed, and thanks to Call of the Mummy, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand, so I summon Vampire Lord (ATK: 2000)!" Then, a blue-haired vampire in a purple suit appeared on the field. "But, he's not staying long, because I sacrifice him to Special Summon Vampire Genesis (ATK: 3000)! Your move."

"I lay one card face down and activate Dark Magic Curtain (LP: 2400 – 1200) to Special Summon Dark Magician (DEF: 2100)." Dayan said, summoning a blond mage in a purple robe. "Next, I switch Endymion (DEF: 1700) and Mystic Tomato (DEF: 1100) to defense mode. Go."

"I lay a card face down and end my turn." Samuel said. _I don't trust that face down card._

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Dayan said. "Go."

"I use Dust Tornado to destroy your face-down card!" Samuel said. "Next, I use Book of Life to bring Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon back from my graveyard (ATK: 2400)! Then, I use Vampire Genesis's ability and discard Ryu Kokki to Special Summon Paladin of the Cursed Dragon (ATK: 1900) from my graveyard! Zombie Dragon, destroy Endymion! Now, thanks to Zombie Dragon and Zombie World, Endymion comes to my field (ATK: 2700). Paladin, destroy Mystic Tomato!"

"Dang!" Dayan said.

"Now, Paladin allows me to claim Mystic Tomato as my own!" Samuel said.

"But, because my Tomato was destroyed, I can Special Summon a dark monster from my deck, as long as it has 1500 attack points or fewer. However, I'm forced to summon it in attack mode, so I won't use the Tomato's ability."

"Endymion, destroy Dark Magician! Mystic Tomato, take out that defense!" Samuel said.

"My defense was Crystal Seer!" Dayan said. "Now, I can pick up the top two cards on my deck and add one to my hand. The other one goes to the bottom of my deck."

"And… I still haven't Normal Summon yet." Samuel said. "So, I sacrifice Endymion, Paladin and Mystic Tomato, since they're all zombies due to Zombie World… And I summon The Cursed Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" CJ watched as a large red dragon with a hook at the end of its tail appeared on the field. It was surrounded by flames and it unleashed a roar that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the Kaiba Dome.

_That's it! The Cursed Dragon! That kid is the Sage of Death! _CJ thought.

"I end my turn." Samuel said.

"I throw a monster face down and lay a card face down as well." Dayan said.

"Red Eyes Zombie Dragon, attack that monster and bring it to me!" Samuel said. "Vampire Genesis, attack Dayan directly!"

"Activate trap: Magic Cylinder!" Dayan said. "Now, you take the attack instead of me!" Samuel stood there as his attack struck him (LP: 4000 – 3000).

"Fine… Cursed Dragon, end this duel!" Dayan fell to his knees as he was struck by the dragon's flames (LP: 0).

"And the winner is… Samuel Carlson!" Roland announced.

"Nice duel, kid." Dayan said.

"Thanks, man." Samuel said. "You too."

_**A short time later…**_

CJ walked over to Samuel, who was standing outside the Kaiba Dome.

"Hey." CJ said.

"Whoa… H-hello, Your Majesty." Samuel said.

CJ chuckled. "You don't have to be so formal. Tell me, where did you get that dragon card?"

"You mean my Cursed Dragon?" Samuel asked.

"Yes." CJ said.

"Well, my Dad's an archaeologist here in Hyrule." Samuel said. "He was exploring the ruins of some ancient temple beneath the desert, and he found this card in a deep chamber."

"Okay." CJ said. "You see, Samuel… That card is the ancient dragon Argarok. It was a dragon that lived within the soul of the Sage of Death, a member of the Twili tribe. However, when Zant tried to take over Hyrule, he was able to use the power of that dragon, being a descendant of the Sage of Death, to attack the Oocaa tribe."

"So… am I… a Sage?" Samuel asked, shocked.

"Yes." CJ said. "You're the Sage of Death."

"What does that mean?" Samuel asked.

"As Sage of Death, you have the ability to enter the Twilight Realm without the need of the Mirror of Twilight." CJ said. It was then that a card appeared before Samuel. He grabbed it and looked at it.

"Well… what's this?" He asked. CJ looked at the card.

"Undeniable proof that you're the Sage of Death." CJ said. "That card is Samuel, Sage of Death… A card of you… You, the Sage of Death."

"Wow… I never knew there was a Sage of Death…" Samuel said.

"The only other Sage of Death to live was the Ancient Sage… Did your family just recently move back to Hyrule?" CJ asked.

"Yeah." Samuel said. "My dad was travelling the world as an archaeologist since before I was born, and his family lived in the Mushroom Kingdom, in Dry Dry Outpost before that. We just moved back to Hyrule a couple of years ago."

"Hm… that explains it." CJ said. "Since you've just started living in Hyrule again recently, the power of the Sage of Death began to awaken. Now, I just need to find the Sage of Life."


	5. The Sacred Phoenix

**CHAPTER FIVE: The Sacred Phoenix**

"The next match of the first round will take place atop Kaiba Land's Cloud Top Palace!" The camera in the Kaiba Dome showed a gold palace surrounded by fake clouds. Standing atop the palace were Alex and Shaylene. "The two duelists competing are Eastern U.S. Regional Champ Alex Logan and the youngest tournament duelist in Hyrule, Shaylene Johnson!"

At the Cloud Top Palace, Shaylene and Alex were facing each other, Duel Disks active.

"Ready to duel?" Shaylene asked.

"The youngest tournament duelist in Hyrule?" Alex asked. "You bet. This should be fun."

"Yeah, I can't wait to see how I stack up against a Regional Champ." Shaylene said.

_Come on, Shay… I've taught you well… You can win this._ CJ thought.

"I'll start the duel!" Shaylene said. "I summon Kaiser Sea Horse (ATK: 1700) and lay a card face down. Go." Then, a knight in blue-and-purple armor appeared on the field.

"I play Ancient Gear Castle!" Alex said, as a large castle appeared behind him. "Next, I summon Ancient Gear Soldier (ATK: 1300) and equip it with Ancient Gear Tank (ATK: 1900)." Then, a mechanical soldier appeared on the field. A metal tank then appeared on the field and the soldier climbed in. "And, thanks to my castle, Ancient Gear Soldier gains another 300 points (ATK: 2200). Soldier, attack!" Shaylene gasped as her monster was blown to bits. "Go."

"I play a monster in defense mode and end my turn." Shaylene said.

"I summon Ancient Gear Knight (ATK: 2100)." Alex said. "Knight, attack that defense!" Shaylene smiled as a large red ladybug appeared on her field. On its back were four glowing green stars.

"You attacked my 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom!" Shaylene said. "Now, all your level four monsters are destroyed!"

"I end my turn." Alex said.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Ancient Gear Castle!" Shaylene said. "Next, I summon Queen's Knight (ATK: 1500). Queen's Knight, attack!" Alex stumbled back as he was struck directly by a blond, female knight in red armor (LP: 4000 – 1500).

"Wow, that was a good move." Stacey said.

"Shaylene's a powerful duelist." CJ said. "Of that I'm sure. I taught her everything she knows."

"Really?" Stacey asked.

"Yup." CJ said. "You're not the only person I've taught to duel."

"Cool." Stacey said.

"I'll end my turn with a face down." Shaylene said.

"My move!" Alex said. "And I activate Geartown!" Then, a large mechanical city covered the field.

"I activate Spell Shield Type-8!" Shaylene said. "Now, I discard a spell from my hand to negate the activation of your spell and destroy it."

"Good." Alex said. "Since you destroyed Geartown, I can Special Summon an Ancient Gear monster from my hand, deck or graveyard."

"That's not good… The Ancient Gears are a powerful group of monsters…" CJ said.

"I summon Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" Alex said, summoning a large mechanical dragon. "Dragon, attack!"

"Activate Enemy Controller!" Shaylene said. "Now, your monster is forced to defense mode (DEF: 2000)."

"I end my turn." Alex said.

"I summon King's Knight (ATK: 1600)…" Shaylene said, summoning a blond male knight in orange armor. "And when he's on the field with Queen's Knight, I can Special Summon Jack's Knight (ATK: 1900)!" Then, a blond male knight in blue armor appeared next to the other two. "Finally, I play Snatch Steal to take your Dragon!"

"Uh-oh…" Alex mumbled.

"Whoa… Shaylene can win this…" Stacey said.

"I told you." CJ said. "I taught her everything she knows."

_I can finish this now… No way!_ Shaylene thought.

"_No, Shaylene… You must wait… There is a card in your deck that you must draw and play…"_ A voice echoed in Shaylene's mind.

"I end my turn." Shaylene said. "And since I have your dragon, you gain 1000 Life Points (LP: 3500)."

"I summon a defense monster and lay one card face down." Alex said. "Then, I end my turn by playing Dian Keto the Cure Master (LP: 4500)!"

"Man, the regional champ's not putting up much of a fight." Stacey said.

CJ laughed. "Told you she's good."

"I sacrifice my three knights to summon my ultimate monster… The Sacred Phoenix (ATK: 3500)!" Shaylene said, summoning a crimson phoenix. CJ looked at the monster and gasped.

_So… Shaylene is the Sage of Life… I guess she was destined to be a Sage… There's no escaping that…_ CJ thought.

"Next, I switch Gadjiltron Dragon to attack mode (ATK: 3000)." Shaylene said. "Dragon, wipe out that defense! Phoenix, direct attack!" Alex watched as his monster was destroyed, then braced himself as he was scorched by Shaylene's Phoenix (LP: 4500 – 3500). "Go."

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Snatch Steal, giving me back my Dragon!" Alex said (LP: 2000). "Next, I summon another defense monster and switch my dragon to defense (DEF: 2000). Go."

"Sacred Phoenix, blast down that Dragon!" Shaylene said. "Next, I play Monster Reborn to Special Summon your Gadjiltron Dragon (ATK: 3000)! Your move."

"I summon a defense monster." Alex said. "Go."

"Sacred Phoenix! Gadjiltron Dragon!" Shaylene said. "Destroy those monsters! Your move."

"I lay a card face down and activate Overload Fusion! I remove Cannon Soldier and Giga-Tech Wolf in my graveyard from play to summon Labyrinth Tank (ATK: 2400)!" Alex said, summoning a large blue tank with several red spikes on the front. "Next, I boost my monsters attack points with Limiter Removal (ATK: 4800)!" Labyrinth Tank, destroy Gadjiltron Dragon!" Shaylene gasped as her monster was blown apart (LP: 4000 – 1800). "Now, I end my turn, which means my tank is destroyed."

"I play Rain of Mercy, boosting our life points (Shaylene: 3200) (Alex: 3000)." Shaylene said. "Phoenix, attack!"

"Activate Sakurestu Armor!" Alex said. " Now your monster is destroyed!"

"I pay half my life points (LP: 3200 – 1600)." Shaylene said. "This allows me to summon my Phoenix during my next Standby Phase. Your move."

"This is it… It all comes down to this…" CJ said. "If Alex draws a monster with 1600 attack points or more, it's over. If not, Shaylene can win."

"I summon Ancient Gear Knight (ATK: 1800)." Alex said, summoning a mechanical knight.

"Uh oh…" CJ said. "This is bad…"

"Ancient Gear Knight, attack her directly and end the duel!" Alex commanded.

"Activate Book of Moon!" Shaylene said. "Now you're monster goes to face-down defense mode!"

"I end my turn." Alex said.

"So my Phoenix rises from the ashes (ATK: 3500)!" Shaylene said. "Now attack that defense! Go."

"Activate Ancient Gear Workshop! Now, I get an Ancient Gear monster back from my hand." Alex said. "Next, I summon a monster in defense mode. Go."

Shaylene reached for her deck and watched as it emitted an ethereal glow. _What… what is this?_ She snapped the top card off of her deck and gasped.

"_Shaylene…"_

_CJ? What's going on?_

"_Listen, Shaylene… You're the Sage of Life…"_

_I'm what?_

"_The Sage of Life… A Sage descended from the people of Skyloft… You have the power to open the gateway to the Skyloft without the power of the Master Sword. You're also the guardian to the Goddess's Harp…"_

_So… I __am__ a Sage?_

"_Yes… There was a reason the goddesses allowed me to take your power as Sage of the Forest from you… They knew that you were the Sage of Life… Shaylene… You were a Sage all along… It's your destiny, and we can't escape it…"_

_Wow…_

"Time to end this!" Shaylene said. "Using my Phoenix's ability, I can summon a monster with Sage of Life in its name from my hand… So I Special Summon myself… Shaylene, Sage of Life (ATK: 2750)!"

"That's it… This duel's over…" CJ said.

"First, I'll destroy your defense!" Shaylene said, launching an energy blast that destroyed Alex's monster. "Now, Sacred Phoenix, end the duel!" Alex stood there as the Phoenix launched a flame at him (LP: 0), ending the duel.

"And the winner is… Shaylene Johnson!" Roland exclaimed. CJ ran over to Shaylene and hugged her.

"Nice duel, kiddo." He said.

"Thanks." Shaylene said. "I still can't believe I actually _am_ a Sage…"

"Me neither…" CJ said. "I guess there's just no escaping your destiny…"


	6. Princess of Destiny VS ThousandEyes

**CHAPTER SIX: Princess of Destiny VS Thousand-Eyes Restrict**

"And the next duel will be Maximillion Pegasus VS Layla Thompson!" Roland called out. "And they'll be dueling within the Toon World Games Gallery!" The camera cut to a large arcade filled with statues of Toon Monsters, such as the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, Toon Summoned Skull and Manga Ryu-Ran. Standing face-to-face were Pegasus and Layla.

"I'll begin!" Pegasus said. "I activate the spell card Toon World (LP: 4000 – 1000) and then I summon Toon Goblin Attack Force (ATK: 2300)." Then, a group of cartoony green goblins appeared on Pegasus's side of the field. "Your move, Miss Layla."

"I summon Four Sword Maiden (DEF: 2000)." Layla said, summoning a blond-haired, blue-eyed young girl in a pink dress. "And, thanks to her ability, all my Four Sword monsters get a boost, including my maiden (DEF: 2500). Your move, Pegasus."

"I throw a monster in defense mode." Pegasus said. "Now, Toon Goblin Attack Force, attack Miss Layla directly!" Layla stumbled back as Pegasus's Toon Goblins attacked her (LP: 4000 – 2300).

_Stupid Toon monsters…_ Layla thought.

"Now, my Goblins switch to defense mode (DEF: 0)." Pegasus said. "Your move."

"I summon Four Sword Emerald Hero (ATK: 1900), who gets a boost from my maiden (ATK: 2400)!" Layla said, summoning a young man in a green hat and tunic. "Hero, attack the Toon Goblins! Now, I'll end my turn by placing one card face down."

"I activate Toon Table of Contents!" Pegasus said. "This lets me add a Toon monster to my hand. Next, I lay a monster in defense mode. Finally, I sacrifice my two monsters to special summon a Toon monster… Blue Eyes Toon Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" Then, a cartoony white dragon appeared on Pegasus's field. "Now, just to be safe, I pay 1000 life points (LP: 3000 – 1000) to activate a second Toon World!"

_Crap! Now my Dust Tornado is useless! The minute he attacks me directly, it's over!_ Layla thought.

"I end my turn." Pegasus said.

"I activate Call of Destiny Ritual!" Layla said. "I sacrifice Four Sword Emerald Hero, Four Sword Maiden and Four Sword Zora Hero from my hand so I can summon Princess of Destiny (ATK: 3000)!" Then, a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman in a lavender dress appeared on the field. She wore a golden tiara and Triforce-shaped earrings. "And, she gains 500 points for each light monster in my graveyard (ATK: 4500). Princess of Destiny, attack and destroy the Toon Dragon!" Pegasus gasped as his monster exploded (LP: 2000 – 1500). "I lay one card face down. Your move."

"I activate Polymerization!" Pegasus said. "I send Relinquished and Thousand-Eyes Idol from my hand to graveyard so I can summon… Thousand-Eyes Restrict (ATK: 0)!" Then, a large brown beast appeared on the field. It had one golden eye similar to Pegasus's Millennium Eye. Covering the rest of the beast's body were a thousand smaller eyes. "And now… watch my Restrict's ability…" The creature's eyes opened and the Princess of Destiny was frozen in place. Thousand Eyes Restrict moved forward and swallowed the Princess. "My Restrict swallows your monster and absorbs its points (ATK: 4500). Restrict, attack her directly!"

"Activate trap: Draining Shield!" Layla said. "This stops your attack and increases my Life Points (LP: 6200)."

"I end my turn." Pegasus said.

"I summon Four Sword Hero (ATK: 1000)." Layla said, summoning a monster similar to her Emerald Hero. "Next, I activate Dust Tornado! And since the Princess of Destiny is treated as a Equip Card, I can destroy her with my Tornado! Now, Four Sword Hero, attack Thousand Eyes Restrict and end the duel!" Pegasus gasped as his monster was destroyed and his life points hit zero.

"Nice duel, Miss Layla." Pegasus said.

"And the winner is Layla Thompson!" Roland said. "Quite the impressive duel! Never have I seen someone win that quickly! Or recover that well!"

"Agreed…" Pegasus said. 

"Next up… dueling atop the Blue Eyes Castle… Our very own Seto Kaiba versus the current King of Games… CJ Francis!" Roland said. The camera then cut to a glistening white castle with blue roofs, where Kaiba and CJ stood.

"Time to duel, Kaiba…" CJ said.

"You mean it's time for me to take your title…" Kaiba said.

"You wish." CJ said. "I'll start this duel! I activate the field spell, Necrovalley!" Then, the white castle changed to an ancient canyon filled with crypts and graves. "Next, I summon Gravekeeper's Descendant (ATK: 1500) and he gets a boost from Necrovalley (ATK: 2000)." Then, a blond-haired, tan-skinned man in a black cloak appeared on the field. "Finally, I lay one card face-down. Go."

"I summon La Jinn, Mystical Genie of the Lamp (DEF: 1000)." Kaiba said, summoning a green genie. "Your move."

"I throw one monster in defense mode." CJ said. "Gravekeeper's Descendant, attack La Jinn!" Kaiba watched as his monster exploded. "Go."

"I summon Saggi the Dark Clown (DEF: 1500)!" Kaiba said, summoning a clown in a purple hat and cloak. "Go."

"I lay one card face down." CJ said. "Descendant, destroy Saggi! Your move, Kaiba."

"I summon Lord of Dragons (ATK: 1200) and activate Flute of Summoning Dragon!" Kaiba said, as a man in dragon-shaped armor and a blue cape appeared on his field. Then, a golden dragon-shaped flute appeared in the man's hand. "Now, I can summon two dragons from my hand… So, come forth, Blue Eyes White Dragons!" Then, two white dragons appeared on Kaiba's field (ATK: 3000 [x2]).

_I had a feeling Kaiba would summon his dragons eventually… _CJ thought.

"Now, my dragons! Take out CJ's two monsters!" Kaiba commanded. CJ watched as his monsters exploded (LP: 4000 – 1000).

"Hey Kaiba… the face down monster you wiped out was my Gravekeeper's Spy! And he lets me Special Summon a Gravekeeper's monster from my deck, so I summon Gravekeeper's Curse (DEF: 1300)!" CJ said, summoning a tan-skinned man with dreadlocks, garbed in a black cloak. "And when he's summoned, you lose 500 Life Points." Kaiba stood there as a Gravekeeper's Curse struck him with a purple energy beam from his cane (LP: 4000 – 500).

"I end my turn." Kaiba said. "Go."

"I summon another monster in defense mode." CJ said. "Go."

"I activate Soul Exchange! I sacrifice your Gravekeeper's Curse and my Lord of Dragons in order to summon my third Blue Eyes White Dragon (ATK: 3000)!"

"He summoned all three?" Tea gasped.

"I think I know what's coming next…" Joey said.

_Me too…_ CJ thought. _And I don't like it…_

"I end my turn with a face down." Kaiba said. "Go."

"I activate Graceful Charity!" CJ said. "I draw three card and discard two. Next, I sacrifice my face-down Gravekeeper's Assailant to summon Gravekeeper's Visionary (ATK: 2000)!" Then, a human-like monster with the head of a wolf and garbed in a white robe appeared on the field. "And, my Visionary gains 200 points for each Gravekeeper in my graveyard (ATK: 2800), along with the point boost from Necrovalley (ATK: 3300), giving it enough points to wipe out your dragon! Visionary, attack!"

"Activate face down card: Shrink!" Kaiba said. "This will weaken your monster…"

"Before it gains its power boost of course…" CJ said, as his monster was weakened (ATK: 2300). "And with that… I end my turn, so my monster's strength returns (ATK: 3300)."

"I activate Polymerization!" Kaiba said.

"Here it comes…" Yugi said.

"Kaiba's number one monster…" Joey said.

_Not quite… Kaiba has two monsters better than his ultimate dragon…_ CJ thought.

"I fuse my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons to summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (ATK: 4500)!" Kaiba said, summoning a three-headed white dragon. "Ultimate Dragon, destroy Gravekeeper's Visionary! Neutron Blast!"


	7. Trap Monster! Embodiment of Apophis!

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Trap Monster: Embodiment of Apophis!**

"Presenting the next duel… battling on the Nazca Adventure Trail… Odion Ishtar and Joey Wheeler!" Roland announced.

"Ready for an awesome rematch?" Joey asked.

"Of course." Odion said.

"I'll start this duel!" Joey said. "I summon Little Winguard (ATK: 1400) and lay a card face down." Then, a small winged warrior in blue armor appeared on the field. "Go."

"I lay three cards face down." Odion said. "Go."

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar (DEF: 1200)." Joey said, summoning a pink warrior in brown armor. "Little Winguard, attack Odion directly!"

"You fell for it again Joey!" Odion said, activating his three face down cards. Three serpentine warriors appeared on his side of the field. "Reveal Embodiment of Apophis (ATK: 1600 [x3])!"

"I activate Rush Recklessly to power up my Little Winguard (ATK: 2100)!" Joey said. "Destroy one of those Embodiment of Apophis!" Odion gasped as one of his monsters was destroyed (LP: 4000 – 500). "And I end my turn and use Little Winguard's ability to switch it to defense mode (DEF: 1800)."

"Embodiment of Apophis! Destroy Swordsman of Landstar!" Odion commanded. "Now, I'll end my turn by laying one card face down. Go."

"I summon Rocket Warrior (ATK: 1500) and switch Little Winguard to attack mode (ATK: 1400)." Joey said, summoning a warrior in green, rocket-like armor. "Rocket Warrior, attack Embodiment of Apophis! And, since Rocket Warrior was in its invincible mode, it survives the attack, and so do my life points. And, you Apophis gets weaker (ATK: 1100). Now, Little Winguard, attack!"

"I activate Blast with Chain, increasing my Apophis's attack power (ATK: 1600)." Odion said. "Counter-attack!" Joey gasped as his Little Winguard was destroyed (LP: 4000 – 200).

"I end my turn." Joey said.

"And my Apophis's points return (ATK: 2100)." Odion said. "I lay one card face down. Now, Embodiment of Apophis (ATK: 2100), destroy Rocket Warrior!"

"No! Rocket Warrior!" Joey exclaimed (LP: 3800 – 600).

"Embodiment of Apophis (ATK: 1600), direct attack!" Odion exclaimed. Joey stumbled back as he was struck directly (LP: 3200 – 1600).

"Oh no!" Yugi exclaimed. "Another direct attack from one of those Apophis monsters and Joey will lose the duel!"

"I end my turn." Odion said.

"I summon the Fiend Megacyber (ATK: 2200)!" Joey said, summoning a warrior in golden armor. "Attack!"

"Activate trap: Sakuretsu Armor! Now your Fiend Megacyber is destroyed!" Odion exclaimed.

"No!" Joey exclaimed as his monster exploded. "Fine… I play Nightmare's Steelcage and end my turn."

"I lay one card face down." Odion said. "Go."

"I activate Giant Trunade!" Joey exclaimed. "This returns all spells and traps on the field to their owner's hands, including your Apophis monsters! Finally, I reactivate Nightmare's Steelcage! Your move, Odion."

"I lay four cards face down." Odion said. "Go."

"I pass." Joey said.

"I activate my two Embodiments of Apophis (ATK: 1600)!" Odion said. "And, then I'll activate Blast with Chain, powering up one of my Apophis monsters (ATK: 2100). Go."

"I activate Card Destruction!" Joey said. "Now we each toss out our hands and draw new cards from our deck." The two then refreshed their hands. "Next, I play Lightning Vortex! I discard a card and destroy all your face up monsters! Finally, I summon Goblin Attack Force (ATK: 2300)." Then, a group of green goblins appeared on Joey's field. "Go."

"I lay a card face down and summon a monster in defense mode." Odion said. "Go."

"I summon Axe Raider (ATK: 1700)." Joey said, summoning a purple haired warrior in gold and red armor, wielding an axe. "Attack that defense!"

"You attacked my Dragon Dwelling in the Cave (DEF: 2000)." Odion said.

"Crap!" Joey said (LP: 1600 – 300). "Go."

"I pass." Odion said. "Go."

"I sacrifice Axe Raider and Goblin Attack Force to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon (ATK: 2400)!" Joey said, summoning a large black dragon. "Attack!" Odion simply stood there as his monster exploded. "Go."

"I activate Temple of the Kings!" Odion said, as a large Egyptian temple appeared behind him. "Next, I play Cup of Sealed Soul and Seal of Serket!"

"Oh no!" Yugi gasped.

"It's a blast from the past, Mr Wheeler…" Odion said, summoning a large scorpion monster. "I summon Mystical Beast of Serket (ATK: 2500)! Now, Serket, attack Red Eyes!"

"Activate trap!" Joey exclaimed. "Kunai with Chain! Now your beast goes to defense mode (DEF: 2000)!"

"I end my turn." Odion said. Joey drew a card.

"Oh yeah!" Joey said. "Here comes my best monster! I summon Comrade Swordsman of Landstar (ATK: 500)."

_That's Wheeler's best monster? So… he's finally come to grips with the fact that he's a lousy duelist? Good._ Kaiba thought.

"What is he talking about?" Yugi asked.

"That monster's not good at all." Tristan said.

"He's not done." CJ said.

"CJ's right…" Joey said. "Cuz I'm tuning my Swordsman with my Dragon… for a Synchro Summon!"

"A Synchro Summon?" Odion asked.

"Yeah… It's a special type of summon… Kinda like fusing monsters together, but better… You use weaker monsters to tune up strong ones… Like this… I tune Comrade Swordsman of Landstar and Red Eyes Black Dragon to summon Red Eyes Infernal Dragon (ATK: 3300)!" Then, a large black dragon with two heads and two crimson wings. "And, there's more… My dragon gains attack points for each dragon monster in my graveyard (ATK: 3500)! Red Eyes Infernal Dragon, attack Mystical Beast of Serket!" Odion watched as his monster exploded. "Go."

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Odion said. "Go."

"Red Eyes, attack!" Joey commanded, as his dragon wiped out a small blue creature with two horns and one eye.

"You attacked my Hiro's Shadow Scout!" Odion said. "It may be destroyed, but now you draw three cards, reveal them, and send any spells you draw to the graveyard."

Joey revealed his three cards. "Too bad I didn't draw any spells. And with that, I end my turn."

"I equip your Infernal Dragon with Ekibyo Drakmord!" Odion said. "Now, your monster is cursed and can't attack! Go."

"Fine." Joey said. _I know how to get out of this…_ "I sacrifice Infernal Dragon to summon Jinzo (ATK: 2400)!" Then, an android in green armor appeared on Joey's field. "Attack Odion directly! Cyber Shockwave!" Odion stumbled back as he was hit with a pair of lasers (LP: 3500 – 2400). "Go."

"I summon a defense monster." Odion said. "Your move."

"I play Monster Reborn to bring back one of the best monsters in my deck…" Joey said, as his clothes transformed into golden armor and he stepped onto the field. "I summon myself… Joey, Sage of Earth (ATK: 2500)!"

"Nice! Joey summoned his Sage!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Jinzo, destroy that defense!" Joey commanded, as Jinzo destroyed Odion's defense. "Now… I attack you directly!" He then launched an energy blast at Odion, ending the duel.

"And the winner is… Joey Wheeler!" Roland exclaimed. Odion walked over to Joey and extended his hand.

"Good duel, Mr Wheeler." Odion said.

"You too, Odion." Joey said. "You fought honorably."

"As did you." Odion said.


	8. Mythic Dragon

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Mythic Dragon**

"Once again, the winner is Joey Wheeler!" Roland announced. "We now turn our attention to the Corneria Air Base Roller Coaster, where the final two competitors are ready to duel… please welcome the Sage of Wind in Hyrule, Mai Valentine! And she'll be facing off against the youngest regional champ ever to strap on a Duel Disk… Rebecca Hawkins!"

The camera then cut to a large roller coaster over a small fortress like building. Standing in front of the building, Duel Disks at the ready, were Mai and Rebecca.

"Ready to duel?" Rebecca asked.

"Of course." Mai said. "You ready to lose?"

Rebecca chuckled. "I'm not gonna lose. And, I'll prove it! I summon Mirage Dragon (ATK: 1600) and lay two cards face down." Then, a large golden dragon appeared on the field. "And with that, I'll end my turn."

"I play Card Destruction!" Mai said. "Now, we each discard our hands and draw new cards. Next, I summon Harpie Lady (ATK: 1300) and activate Elegant Egotist. Now, I summon Harpie Lady Sisters (ATK: 1950)!" Then, four winged women appeared on Mai's field. The first had red hair and wore a purple bodysuit. The other three were together in a formation. One had red hair and wore golden armor. The second had orange hair and wore golden armor. The third had blue hair and wore golden armor. "Next, I equip my Harpie Lady Sisters with Follow Wind (ATK: 2250)."

"Whoa…" Rebecca gasped.

"Harpie Lady Sisters! Attack Mirage Dragon!" Mai commanded.

"Activate trap: Enchanted Javelin!" Rebecca said. "This will increase my life points by your Sisters' attack power (LP: 6250), before I take the hit from you destroying my dragon (LP: 6250 - 650).

"Harpie Lady, direct attack!" Mai exclaimed. Rebecca stumbled back as she was kicked by the Harpie Lady (LP: 5650 – 1300). "Your move."

"I summon Lord of Dragon (ATK: 1200) and activate Flute of Summoning Dragon so I can Special Summon Red Eyes Black Dragon (ATK: 2400) and Emerald Dragon (ATK: 2400)!" Rebecca said, summoning a man in dragon-like armor. A golden flute appeared in his hand and two dragons then appeared on the field: One was black, and the other was green with emerald-encrusted legs. "Red Eyes, destroy Harpie Lady! Emerald Dragon, destroy Harpie Lady Sisters!" Mai gasped as her monsters were obliterated (LP: 4000 – 1250). "Go."

"I summon Harpie's Brother (ATK: 1800) and lay a card face down." Mai said, summon a brown-skinned winged man with spiked black hair. "Next, I use the power of Mystical Space Typhoon to blow away your face down card. Now, Harpie's Brother, attack Lord of Dragons!" Rebecca watched as her monster was sliced in half by Mai's monster (LP: 4350 – 600). "Finally, I lay a card face down to end my turn."

"Red Eyes, attack!" Rebecca commanded.

"Reveal trap: Windstorm of Etaqua! Now, your dragons switch to defense mode (Red Eyes DEF: 2000) (Emerald Dragon DEF: 1400)!" Mai said.

"I end my turn." Rebecca said.

"I lay one card face down." Mai said. "Harpie's Brother, attack Emerald Dragon! Your move, Becca."

"I switch Red Eyes to attack (ATK: 2400)." Rebecca said. "Attack Harpie's Brother!"

"Activate trap: Sakuretsu Armor!" Mai said. "Now, your Red Eyes is destroyed!"

"I lay a card face down." Rebecca said. "Go."

"Harpie's Brother, attack!" Mai commanded.

"Activate face down card: Scapegoat!" Rebecca said, as four colorful sheep appeared on the field. "Now, I can summon four Sheep Tokens (DEF: 0)."

"And my Harpie's Brother destroys one of them." Mai said. "Go."

"I summon Masked Dragon (DEF: 1100)." Rebecca said, summoning a red and white dragon. "Your move."

"I summon Harpie Lady 3 (ATK: 1300)." Mai said, summoning a blue-haired, winged woman in a purple bodysuit. "Harpie's Brother, attack Masked Dragon!"

"Thanks. By destroying Masked Dragon, you let me summon another Masked Dragon." Rebecca said.

"Harpie Lady 3, destroy that second Masked Dragon!" Mai said, wiping out Rebecca's monster.

"And, once again… Masked Dragon's ability activates." Rebecca said, summoning a green dragon. "So I summon Lesser Dragon (DEF: 1000)."

"I end my turn." Mai said.

"I sacrifice Lesser Dragon so I can summon Millennium Shield (DEF: 3000)." Rebecca said, summoning a red shield with a golden edge and the Eye of Wdjat on it.

"There it is… Rebecca's best defense…" CJ said.

"Wow… I hope I don't have to face her…" Shaylene said.

"I could beat that." Stacey said confidently.

"Don't count Mai out yet." Joey said. "She can still win this."

"Finally, I play Token Thanksgiving. I sacrifice my three tokens to boost my Life Points (LP: 6150). Your move."

"I lay one card face down." Mai said. "Your move."

"I pass." Rebecca smirked.

"I activate Call of the Haunted to revive Harpie's Pet Dragon (ATK: 2300)." Mai said, summoning a large red dragon. "Your move."

"I lay one card face down." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I lay a card face down as well." Mai said. "Go."

"I pass." Rebecca said.

"Activate trap: Hysteric Party! I discard a card and summon Harpie Lady (DEF: 1400) from my graveyard. Next, I summon another Harpie Lady (DEF: 1400)." Mai said, as two Harpies appeared on her field. "Now, my Harpie's Pet Dragon gains attack points (ATK: 2900). Your move."

"One more Harpie Lady and Rebecca's Millennium Shield is toast." CJ said.

"I pass." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I lay one card face down." Mai said. "Go."

"I summon Cure Mermaid (ATK: 1500)." Rebecca said, summoning a blond mermaid.

"Activate trap: Icarus Attack!" Mai said. "I sacrifice Harpie's Brother and destroy both your monsters!"

"I end my turn by playing Swords of Revealing Light!" Rebecca said.

"I summon another Harpie Lady (ATK: 1300), boosting my dragon's attack power (ATK: 3200)." Mai said. "Go."

"Oh yeah!" Joey exclaimed. "Mai's got this duel in the bag!"

"I activate Dragon's Mirror!" Rebecca said. "I remove five dragons in my graveyard from play to Fusion Summon a powerful monster…"

"Correction Joey…" CJ said. "Rebecca's got this duel in the bag."

"I summon Five-Headed Mythic Dragon (ATK: 5000)!" Rebecca said, summoning a large dragon with five heads: One of fire, one of a sea serpent, one mechanical, a golden head covered in spikes and a shadowy head. "Five Headed Dragon, wipe out Harpie Lady 3!"

"Oh no!" Mai gasped, as the Mythic Dragon wiped out her Harpie Lady and the rest of her Life Points.

"And the winner is… Rebecca Hawkins!" Roland announced. "Round Two of the tournament will resume tomorrow."

"Wow… Now _I_ wouldn't want to face Rebecca…" Stacey said.

_(A/N: When Rebecca duels, I will be changing the name of "Luster Dragon #2" [Lv 6 / Wind / Dragon / Atk- 2400 / Def- 1400] to "Emerald Dragon". The weaker card "Luster Dragon" [Lv 4 / Wind / Dragon / Atk- 1900 / Def- 1600] will be renamed "Sapphire Dragon", as this is what the cards are supposed to be called, but due to an error [either by 4Kids or Konami], the cards were renamed. In the anime, Rebecca plays a card called "Ruby Dragon", as well as a card called "Diamond Head Dragon". Originally, there was supposed to be "Ruby Dragon", "Sapphire Dragon", "Emerald Dragon" and "Diamond Head Dragon", but the names were changed supposedly to avoid a conflict with Pokemon.)_


	9. Water of Life

**CHAPTER NINE: Water of Life**

The next morning, the remaining duelists had gathered in the KaibaDome. In the center of the building was a dueling arena.

"Attention duelists… the first duel of the second round will be Stacey Francis and Shaylene Johnson!" Roland announced. Stacey and Shaylene stepped into the dueling arena and activated their Duel Disks.

"Ready to duel, Shaylene?" Stacey asked.

"You bet!" Shaylene said. "I'll begin! I activate Rain of Mercy (Shaylene: 5000) (Stacey: 5000) and summon Queen's Knight (ATK: 1500)." Then, a blond haired female knight in red armor appeared on Shaylene's field. "Your move."

"I play Moray of Greed. I return two Water monsters to my deck, shuffle it, and draw three cards. Next, I summon 7 Colored Fish (ATK: 1800)." Stacey said, summoning a rainbow-colored eel monster. "Attack Queen's Knight!" Shaylene gasped as her monster exploded (LP: 5000 – 300). "Your move, Shaylene."

_This should be an interesting duel… The love of my life versus my best friend… The light to my darkness against an agitator to the darkness…_ CJ thought. _What in Din's name ever made me think that Shaylene and I were meant to be together?_

"I lay two cards face down and end my turn." Shaylene said.

"I summon Mad Lobster (ATK: 1700)." Stacey said, summoning a fiendish looking lobster. "Mad Lobster, attack!" Shaylene stood there as the lobster attacked her (LP: 4700 – 1700). "7 Colored Fish, attack!"

"Activate Book of Moon! This will switch your 7 Colored Fish to face down defense mode!" Shaylene said.

"I end my turn." Stacey said.

"I summon Kaiser Sea Horse (ATK: 1700)." Shaylene said, summoning a knight in blue and purple armor. "Attack that face down 7 Colored Fish!" Stacey watched as her monster exploded. "I end my turn."

"I play Premature Burial (LP: 5000 – 800) and revive 7 Colored Fish (ATK: 1800)." Stacey said, as her fish returned to the field. "7 Colored Fish, attack Kaiser Sea Horse!" Shaylene gasped as her monster exploded (LP: 3000 – 100). "Mad Lobster, direct attack!" Shaylene stumbled as she was struck by the lobster (LP: 2900 – 1700). "Your move, Shaylene."

"I summon another Kaiser Sea Horse (ATK: 1700) and play Twister!" Shaylene said. "I pay 500 Life Points (LP: 1200 – 500) to destroy Premature Burial, along with your 7 Colored Fish! Your move."

"I lay one card face down." Stacey said. "Go."

"I sacrifice Kaiser Sea Horse to summon myself… Shaylene, Sage of Life (ATK: 2750)." Shaylene said, as she stepped onto the field. "And I attack your Mad Lobster!" Stacey gasped as Shaylene wiped out her monster (LP: 4200 – 1050). "Go."

"I activate Master Sword Ritual!" Stacey said. "I sacrifice Link, Child of Courage and another monster from my hand… Now, I can summon The Hero of Time (ATK: 3200)!" Then, a golden haired, pointy-eared young man in a green pointed hat and tunic appeared on the field. "Next, I summon Courage Plasma (ATK: 1000)!" Then, a mass of green plasma appeared on the field. "Finally, it's time to Synchro Summon… I tune Hero of Time with Courage Plasma…" The plasma then became dark green armor that attached to the Hero. "I summon Hero of Speed (ATK: 3200)!"

"Whoa… The Triforce Destiny Cards have new forms?" Yugi gasped.

"Yup." CJ said. "There's the Hero of Speed… Created by tuning Hero of Time with Courage Plasma. Then there's the Sapphire Queen, formed by tuning Princess of Destiny with Wisdom Plasma. Finally, there's the Crimson King of Darkness, formed by tuning the King of Evil with Power Plasma."

"Hero of Speed, attack Shaylene!" Stacey exclaimed.

"Activate Enemy Controller, switching your Hero to defense mode (DEF: 3000)." Shaylene said.

"I end my turn." Stacey said. "Go."

"I summon 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom and use my ability…" Shaylene said, as her ladybug vanished and the Hero of Time appeared on her field. "I sacrifice my Ladybug to summon your Hero of Time (ATK: 3700)!"

"But I thought that only certain people can control the Triforce Destiny Cards, much like the Egyptian god cards…" Yugi said.

"That's true, Yugi." CJ said. "But have you forgotten…?" CJ pointed to Shaylene. On her hand, glowing faintly, was the Triforce of Courage.

"That's right! Shaylene used to hold the Triforce of Courage!" Joey exclaimed.

"Hero of Time! Wipe out the Hero of Speed!" Shaylene exclaimed.

"Oh no!" Stacey gasped as her Hero was obliterated. "And now, I'll attack your directly!" Stacey stumbled as Shaylene launched a blast of magic at her (LP: 3150 – 2750). "Your move."

_I need to pull something to save myself, and quick!_ Stacey drew a card. _That'll work._

"I think Shaylene's gonna win this…" Yugi said.

"Don't count Stacey out yet." CJ said.

"I activate A Legendary Ocean, and activate my face-down card… Tornado Wall!" Stacey said, as the arena floor became covered in water. Then, a group of waterspouts formed in front of Stacey. "Now, I'm protected from life point damage from your attacking monsters. And with that, I'll en my turn."

"Well, since I can't hurt you, I'll pass this turn." Shaylene said.

"I activate Hammer Shot!" Stacey said. "That means that your Hero of Time is destroyed!"

_Crap!_ Shaylene thought.

"And I end my turn." Stacey said.

"I pass." Shaylene said. "Go."

"I pass as well." Stacey said.

"Wow… That Tornado Wall was exactly what Stacey needed to defend herself." Yugi said.

"Ya think she can recover and beat Shaylene?" Joey asked.

"Of course." CJ said.

"I summon King's Knight!" Shaylene said. "And, I'll use my own ability and sacrifice King's Knight in order to summon the Hero of Time once again (ATK: 4200)."

_Great… she has my Hero… again…_ Stacey thought.

"But, again… since your Tornado Wall protects you, I'll have to end my turn." Shaylene said.

"I lay a card face down." Stacey said. "Go."

"I equip myself with Malevolent Nuzzler!" Shaylene said, as a purple necklace appeared around her neck. "This boosts my attack power (ATK: 3450). Your move."

"I summon Morpha, Giant Aquatic Amoeba (ATK: 1900)." Stacey said, summoning a red amoeba in a pillar of water. "And, I equip Morpha with Longshot, meaning I can take my Hero of Time back until the end of the turn. Next, I use Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Malevolent Nuzzler, reducing your points (ATK: 2750). Hero, attack the Sage of Life and end the duel!" Shaylene was struck by Stacey's Hero and she fell onto her back (LP: 0).

"Oh yeah! That's my girl!" CJ exclaimed.

"And the winner is… Stacey Francis!" Roland exclaimed.


	10. The Dragons of Death

**CHAPTER TEN: The Dragons of Death**

"The next duel of Round Two will be Yugi Moto versus Samuel Carlson!" Yugi and Samuel stepped onto the dueling arena. Without realizing it, Shaylene smiled and blushed a little watching Samuel step up. CJ noticed this and smiled.

_Looks like Shay's got a little crush on a certain Sage of Death…_ CJ thought. _Good for her… Glad to see that her heart is healing… I was wrong… I shouldn't have done what I did… She was far too young for me…_

"Ready to duel, Yugi?" Samuel asked.

"Of course." Yugi said. "It's time to duel! One card face down and I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (ATK: 1700)." Then, a golden metal warrior with magnets on its head and hands appeared on the field. "Go."

"I activate Call of the Mummy! Next, I'll use its ability to summon the Lady in Wight (DEF: 2200)." Samuel said, summoning a skeletal woman in a brown robe. "Then, I'll set a monster in defense mode and activate Nightmare's Steelcage!" A large cage then surrounded the two duelists. "And that's my turn."

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Go."

"I summon Paladin of the Cursed Dragon (ATK: 1900)." Samuel said, summoning a decaying warrior atop a zombie dragon. Both wore glistening silver armor. "And I'll end my turn there."

"I sacrifice my two monsters to summon my almighty Dark Magician (ATK: 2500)!" Yugi said, summoning his most famous monster: a blue-haired magician in a purple robe.

"Saw that coming!" Joey said.

"Wow… three turns in and Yugi's already summoned his signature monster." CJ said. "I'm impressed."

_CJ's right…_ Samuel thought. _I gotta step up my game._

_Whoa… Yugi's playing for keeps… I really hope Samuel can win this…_ Shaylene thought.

"Your move, Samuel." Yugi said. "So your Steelcage is gone."

"I place a card face down and switch Paladin to defense mode (DEF: 1200)." Samuel said. "Go."

"Dark Magician, attack Lady in Wight!" Yugi said. "Your move."

"All right…" Samuel said. "I sacrifice my Paladin to place one monster in defense mode. I end my turn."

"I summon one monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Dark Magician, attack the defense monster he just placed on the field!"

"There goes my Vampire Lord…" Samuel said.

"Your move." Yugi said.

"I pass this turn." Samuel said.

"I lay a monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Dark Magician, wipe out his defense!"

"I lay one card face down." Samuel said. "Go."

"I sacrifice my defense monster to summon Summoned Skull (ATK: 2500)!" Yugi said, summoning a skeletal monster with large blue wings. "Next, I equip Dark Magician with Book of Secret Arts (ATK: 2800) and end my turn."

"Wait… what?" Tristan asked.

"Did Yugi just end his turn without attacking?" Joey asked.

"Samuel's got two face downs." CJ said. "Yugi's seen his strategy. Running in blind would be foolish."

"I lay another card face down and end my turn." Samuel said. "Go."

"I pass." Yugi said.

"I lay another card face down and end my turn." Samuel said.

"A card face down and that'll do for now." Yugi said.

"Man, Yugi's being real cautious…" Joey said.

"A careless attack against four facedowns could easily backfire." CJ said.

"No kidding." Shaylene said. "Especially against Samuel."

"I use Call of the Mummy to summon Patrician of Darkness (DEF: 1400)." Samuel said, summoning a white-haired, blue-skinned fiend in a black cloak and red cape. "Next, I place a monster in defense mode. Go."

"Summoned Skull, attack Patrician of Darkness!" Yugi said. Samuel watched as his monster was destroyed. "Go."

"I pass." Samuel said.

"I lay a card face down." Yugi said. "Dark Magician, attack that defense! Your move."

"I can't do anything, so I'll pass again…" Samuel sighed.

"Dark Magician!" Yugi exclaimed. "Direct attack!" Samuel stumbled onto his back as he was attacked (LP: 4000 – 2500).

"I use the effect of Call of the Mummy to Special Summon another Patrician of Darkness (DEF: 1400)." Samuel said. "Your move."

"Dark Magician, attack Patrician of Darkness!" Yugi said. "Go."

"I play Book of Taiyou on your facedown monster!" Samuel said.

"You revealed Big Shield Gardna (ATK: 100)." Yugi said, summoning a spikey black-haired monster with a large shield.

"I end my turn." Samuel said.

"I sacrifice Big Shield Gardna to summon Dark Magician Girl (ATK: 2000)!" Yugi said, summoning a blond haired female mage in blue armor and a pink skirt. "And I end my turn."

"What the-?" Joey asked. "It's not like Yug to feel out an opponent like this…"

"He must be waiting for something…" Tristan said.

"Or waiting for Samuel to pull something." CJ said.

"What do you mean?" Tea asked.

"He wants to see Samuel's Cursed Dragon." CJ said.

_If I could just get one more card…_ Samuel thought. "I pass."

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Yugi said.

"I activate the field spell, Zombie World!" Samuel said, as the arena changed to a desolate wasteland. "Next, I play Field Barrier, protecting my Zombie World! Then, I play Spell Shattering Arrow, destroying Book of Secret Arts and dealing you 500 points of damage!" Yugi smirked as his spell was destroyed (LP: 4000 – 500). "Now, I activate another Book of Taiyou to reveal your other face down monster!"

"You revealed Marshmallon (ATK: 300)!" Yugi said, summoning a small marshmallow creature.

"Next, I play Everliving Underworld Cannon!" Samuel said. "Now, whenever I special summon a Zombie monster, you lose 800 Life Points, and I special summon Red Eyes Zombie Dragon thanks to Call of the Mummy (ATK: 2400)! So, you lose 800 Life Points (LP: 3500 – 800) and now… Red Eyes, attack Dark Magician Girl!"

_I can't let the Dark Magician Girl fall…_ Yugi thought. "Reveal trap: Spellbinding Circle!"

"Dang! I end my turn." Samuel said. "Go."

"I switch Marshmallon to defense mode (DEF: 500)." Yugi said. "And that'll do it for me."

"That's it?" Samuel asked.

"Yes." Yugi said.

"He's definitely waiting for something…" CJ said.

"You think?" Joey asked.

"I'm sure of it." CJ said.

"But why?" Tristan asked.

"Samuel's the Sage of Death." CJ said. "And Yugi knows that. I'd be willing to bet that he's trying to hold out until Samuel unleashes his ultimate monsters… And his maximum power as a Sage."

"Whoa…" Tea said.

"I can't do anything, so I pass, since my Zombie Dragon is paralyzed." Samuel said.

"I lay a card face down." Yugi said. "Go."

_Why hasn't Yugi finished me off?_ Samuel wondered. "I summon a monster in defense mode. Go."

"I sacrifice Marshmallon to summon Silent Swordsman Lv 5 (ATK: 2300)!" Yugi said, summoning a swordsman in a long silver and blue coat. "Your move."

_Come on deck… Let's make this count…_ Samuel thought, drawing a card. "I sacrifice my face down monster to summon a defense monster. Go."

"I pass." Yugi said.

"What?" Joey, Tristan and Tea gasped.

"Yugi just passed?" Kaiba exclaimed. "Seriously?"

_I knew it… He wants to see Samuel's full potential._ CJ thought.

"I summon a defense monster and end my turn." Samuel said.

_I can sense the Cursed Dragon in Samuel's hand…_ CJ thought. _And I'll bet Yugi knows it and he's waiting for Samuel to summon it…_

"I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" Yugi said. "Now, not only can you not attack for three turns, but your monsters are revealed!"

"You revealed Regenerating Mummy (DEF: 1500) and Ryu Kokki (DEF: 2000)." Samuel said, as a mummy and a mass of skeletons appeared on the field.

_Three Zombies… Enough to summon the Cursed Dragon…_ CJ thought.

_This is it… If he summons his Cursed Dragon, the ultimate duel begins…_ Yugi thought.

"Your move." Yugi said.

"I sacrifice my three monsters to summon the Cursed Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" Samuel said, summoning a black dragon with steel armor and crimson wings. "And since your swords prevent me from attacking… I end my turn."

"I pass." Yugi said. _And now… the real duel begins…_

"I activate the Cursed Dragon's ability to special summon myself… Samuel, Sage of Death (DEF: 2600)!" Samuel said, stepping forward. "Next, I activate my ability… I discard a card from my hand to destroy Silent Swordsman! Go."

"I equip Dark Magician with Mage Power…" Yugi said. "And since I have 5 spells and traps on the field, my Magician's power doubles (ATK: 5000)!"

"Now things get good." CJ said with a smile.

"Dark Magician, attack the Cursed Dragon!" Yugi said.

"Activate Shift!" Samuel said. "So I take the hit instead!" Samuel said, as he stepped in front of his dragon and removed his Sage Card from his Duel Disk.

"The Sage just defended his most loyal monster from Yugi's most loyal monster…" CJ said. "What a duel…"

"I end my turn." Yugi said.

"I activate Soul Taker to destroy Dark Magician!" Samuel said. "Although you gain 1000 Life Points."

"Yes, and Dark Magician Girl gains attack points (ATK: 2300)!" Yugi said (LP: 3700).

"Don't let her get too used to them." Samuel said. "I use Book of Moon to flip Summoned Skull face down. Next, I summon Zombie Master (ATK: 1800) and end my turn." Then, a creepy man in tattered robes appeared on the field. "So your swords are gone and I'm free to attack next turn."

"I play Polymerization!" Yugi said. "I fuse Gazelle and Berformet from my hand to summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast (ATK: 2100)!" Then, a two-headed, horned winged beast appeared on Yugi's field. "Next, I flip Summoned Skull into attack mode (ATK: 2500) and end my turn."

"I activate Zombie Master's ability…" Samuel said. "By discarding a monster from my hand, I can special summon a zombie from my graveyard, so say hello to Paladin of Cursed Dragon (DEF: 1200), which means you lose 800 Life Points (LP: 3700 – 800). Next, I switch Zombie Master to defense mode (DEF: 0). Finally, I attack Summoned Skull!"

"Reveal trap!" Yugi said. "Mirror Force! So there goes your Dragon!"

"I end my turn." Samuel said.

"I sacrifice Chimera and Dark Magician Girl to summon Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction!" Yugi said, summoning a large black dragon. "I pay half my life points to destroy and remove from play every card on the field except my dragon (LP: 2900 – 1450)! Now, my dragon gains 300 points for each card removed from play (ATK: 3000)! Gandora, end this duel with a direct attack!" Samuel fell onto his back as his cards exploded and Gandora blasted him (LP: 0).

"And the winner is… Yugi Moto!" Roland exclaimed.

_**A/N: I apologize for any Life Point errors in this chapter. When I originally wrote it, I based LP off of 8000 instead of 4000 by mistake. I tried to go back as fix it (I think I did), but I apologize if I missed anything.**_


	11. Dragon VS Dragon

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Dragon VS Dragon: Mythic VS Infernal**

"The next duel of Round Two will take place between our overwhelming underdog… Joey Wheeler, and one of the youngest regional champs ever… Rebecca Hawkins!" Roland shouted, as Joey and Rebecca stepped into the arena.

"Ready to duel, Joey?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, yeah, but I don't feel right beatin' a kid." Joey said.

"A kid?" Rebecca exclaimed. "I'll have you know that I'm a college graduate!"

"College graduate?" Everyone gasped. CJ chuckled.

"Yeah, Rebecca's just earned her degree in Archaeology with a secondary degree in Hylianology at Hylia University." CJ said.

"Yup." Rebecca said. "And I'm the number two chief archaeologist at Industrial Illusions."

"Okay, okay, can we get to the duel already?" Joey asked impatiently.

"All right, let's duel!" Rebecca said. "And I'll start by summoning Witch of the Black Forest (ATK: 1100)." Then, a purple haired woman in a black robe appeared on the field. "Go."

"I summon Axe Raider (ATK: 1700)!" Joey said, summoning a purple-haired warrior in a red-and-gold armor and wielding an axe. "Attack Witch of the Black Forest!" Rebecca smirked as her witch was destroyed (LP: 4000 – 600). "Go."

"By destroying Witch of the Black Forest, you let me add Sangan to my hand!" Rebecca said. "So, I play a monster in defense mode and lay a card face down. Go."

"I summon Goblin Attack Force (ATK: 2300)!" Joey said, summoning a group of green goblins. "Attack that defense!"

"You destroyed Sangan!" Rebecca said. "And he lets me bring a monster with 1500 attack or less to my hand from my deck. Next, I activate Rope of Life! Now, I can bring back Sangan (ATK: 1000) and give him a power boost (ATK: 1800). And, since your Goblins attack, they switch to defense mode (DEF: 0)."

"I end my turn." Joey said.

"I sacrifice Sangan and summon a monster in defense mode." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I activate Reload and shuffle my hand back into my deck, so I can draw a new hand." Joey said. "Next, I sacrifice Axe Raider to summon Flame Swordsman (ATK: 1800)!" Then, a man in blue clothing, red armor and carrying a flaming sword appeared on the field. "Attack that defense!"

"You attacked my Millennium Shield (DEF: 3000)!" Rebecca said, as a red shield with a golden edge and the Eye of Wdjat appeared on the field. Joey gasped as his life points took a hit (LP: 4000 – 1200).

"Gah!" Joey exclaimed. "I end my turn."

"I lay one card face down." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar (DEF: 1200)." Joey said, summoning a pink warrior in brown armor. "Go."

"I pass." Rebecca said.

"I sacrifice my two monsters to summon Laruto, Ancient Sage of Earth (ATK: 2650)!" Joey said, summoning a blue, humanoid fish creature in a lavender robe and carrying a harp. "And with that, I end my turn."

"I pass." Rebecca said.

"Wow… Rebecca's got him on the ropes with that Millennium Shield." Yugi said.

"No kidding." CJ said.

"I pass." Joey said. "Go."

"As do I." Rebecca smirked.

"I summon Tiger Axe (ATK: 1300) and end my turn." Joey said, summoning a golden tiger in blue armor.

"I pass." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I sacrifice Flame Swordsman and Tiger Axe to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon (ATK: 2400)!" Joey said, summoning his famous black dragon. "Go."

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I summon Comrade Swordsman of Landstar (ATK: 500)." Joey said, summoning a pink warrior in brown armor. "Next, I tune my Swordsman with my Dragon to summon Red Eyes Infernal Dragon (ATK: 3300)!" Then, a two-headed, red-eyed black dragon with crimson wings appeared on the field. "And, my dragon gains 200 points for each dragon in the graveyard (ATK: 4100)! Red Eyes Infernal Dragon, attack Millennium Shield! Laruto, attack the defense! And thanks to Laruto's effect, I can deal Piercing Damage!" Rebecca watched as her monster exploded (LP: 4000 – 1150). "Go."

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Rebecca said. "Go."

"I pass." Joey said.

"I summon Lord of Dragons (ATK: 1200) and activate Flute of Summoning Dragons!" Rebecca said, summoning a warrior in dragon-like armor, carrying a golden flute. "And I summon Sapphire Dragon (ATK: 1900) and Emerald Dragon (ATK: 2400)! Your move, Joey."

"I lay a card face down." Joey said. "Go."

"I activate Dragon's Mirror and removed 5 dragons from play to summon Five-Headed Dragon (ATK: 5000)!" Rebecca said, summoning a five-headed dragon. "Finally I equip my dragon with Ring of Magnetism, reducing its attack (ATK: 5000 – 500) and forcing all your attacks to hit my dragon. Five-Headed Dragon, attack Red Eyes Infernal Dragon!"

"Activate Skull Dice!" Joey said.

"Sorry Joey, but thanks to Lord of Dragons, my Five-Headed Dragon can't be targeted by effects!" Rebecca said.

"What?" Joey gasped.

"Joey should've seen that coming." Yugi said.

"Rebecca's a great duelist…" CJ said. "One of the best in the world."

"Five-Headed Dragon, finish off that dragon!" Rebecca said.

"No! My Red Eyes!" Joey exclaimed (LP: 2800 – 1700).

"I end my turn." Rebecca said.

"I switch Laruto to defense mode (DEF: 2000)." Joey said. "Go."

"Five-Headed Dragon, attack Laruto! Lord of Dragons, finish this duel off!" Rebecca exclaimed. Joey gasped as his life points struck zero (LP: 0).

"And the winner is Rebecca Hawkins!" Roland exclaimed.


	12. Clash of the Triforce

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Clash of the Triforce**

"The final duel of the quarter finals will be the bearer of the Triforce of Power, Sage of Shadow and King of Hyrule… CJ Francis versus the Sage of Time, bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom and Princess of Hyrule… Layla Thompson!" CJ and Layla stepped into the dueling arena, Triforces aglow.

"Ready to duel?" CJ asked.

"Ready to give these guys a good show?" Layla asked.

"You bet." CJ said.

"Then, let's duel, Your Majesty!" Layla exclaimed.

"I'll begin our duel!" CJ said. "I activate Gravekeeper's Servant! Next, I summon Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast (ATK: 1200) and equip it with Lens of Truth! Now, once per turn, I can look at either one of your face downs or one card from your hand. And with that, I'll look at the middle card in your hand." Layla revealed her card. "Ah, Island Child… With that, I end my turn."

"I summon Four Sword Zora Hero (ATK: 1850)." Layla said, summoning a humanoid aquatic warrior in a green tunic. Its head resembled a green hat and it had a green fin on each arm. "Zora Hero, attack Bongo Bongo!"

"Because you attacked, Gravekeeper's Servant forces you to send the top card on your deck to the graveyard." CJ said, as Layla discarded her top card. "Next, since Bongo Bongo was destroyed in battle while equipped with Lens of Truth, I can summon a monster with Sheikah or Sage of Shadow in its name…"

"Uh oh…" Layla gasped.

"So I summon myself… CJ, Sage of Shadow (ATK: 3000)!" CJ said, as he stepped onto the field. He snapped his fingers and a gold-bladed, black-hilted, double-edged sword appeared in his hand.

"I end my turn by laying one card face down." Layla said. "Go."

"Say goodbye to your Hero!" CJ said, as he rushed toward the Zora Hero, sword ready.

"Activate trap: To The Rescue!" Layla said. "This will defend my Zora Hero, and allow me to summon another Four Sword monster from my hand or deck, so I summon Four Sword Goron Hero (ATK: 1600)." Then, a large brown rock creature appeared on Layla's field. He had blue eyes, white hair and a white goatee, and he wore a pointed green hat and tunic.

"I end my turn." CJ said.

"I summon a monster in defense mode and switch Zora Hero (DEF: 1400) and Goron Hero (DEF: 1000) to defense mode." Layla said. "Go."

"I discard Gravekeeper's Commandant to add Necrovalley to my hand, which I'll then activate!" CJ said, as the arena became an ancient canyon filled with crypts and tombs. "Then, I summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (ATK: 2000). Now, Spear Soldier, attack Goron Hero! And, Spear Soldier inflicts Piercing Damage!"

"What?" Layla gasped as her life points were hit (LP: 4000 – 1000).

"And then I will destroy Zora Hero!" CJ said, as he sliced Layla's hero in half. "Your move."

"I flip up King of Red Lions (DEF: 1000)." Layla said, summoning a small red boat with a dragon's head on the end of it. "And, that lets me draw three cards. Next, I play Polymerization and fuse four monsters from my hand… Four Sword Ruby Hero, Four Sword Sapphire Hero, Four Sword Emerald Hero and Four Sword Violet Hero…"

"Oh no!" CJ exclaimed. "That's not good."

"I summon Link, Hero of the Four Sword (ATK: 3500)!" Layla said, summoning a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy in a pointed green hat and tunic. In his hand was a gold-hilted sword with a steel blade and red gem in the hilt. "And, he gains 100 attack and defense for each Four Sword monster in my graveyard (ATK: 4100 / DEF: 2700). Hero, destroy Spear Soldier!" CJ gasped as his Gravekeeper was wiped out (LP: 4000 – 2100). "I end my turn."

"I activate Tribute to the Doomed! I discard a card to destroy Link!" CJ said, as Layla's monster was pulled beneath the ground by a mummified hand. "Now, I'll wipe out the King of Red Lions!" CJ then sliced through the King of Red Lions, destroying it. "Then, I lay a card face down. Your move."

"I activate Call of Destiny Ritual and sacrifice Time Magician from my hand to summon the Princess of Destiny (ATK: 3000)." Layla said, as she stepped onto the field and was enveloped in a golden light. When the light vanished, Layla wore a lavender robe, a golden diamond tiara and silk gloves. "And, as you know, my Princess gains 500 attack and defense for each Light attribute monster in my graveyard (ATK: 8000 / DEF: 8000)."

"That's a whole lotta points." Joey said.

"Yeah…" Yugi said.

"I wonder how CJ's gonna come out of this one?" Stacey asked.

"He'll find a way." Shaylene said. "He's the King of Games, after all."

"Princess of Destiny, attack!" Layla exclaimed, as she charged a blast of energy, ready to strike CJ. Suddenly, a shield protected him and he was surrounded by a glowing aura. "What the-?"

"I activate Draining Shield!" CJ said. "This defended my monster AND gave my Life Points a boost (LP: 9900).

"Told ya." Shaylene smiled.

"Wow…" Joey said.

"I guess that's why he's the King of Games…" Samuel gasped.

"Oh yeah." Stacey smiled. "That's my man."

"I end my turn." Layla said.

"I activate Shadow Clone Darkness!" CJ said, as two shadow-enshrouded clones of him appeared on his field. "This lets me summon two Shadow Clone Tokens (ATK: 3000 [x2]), who I'll sacrifice to summon Agahnim, Royal Sorcerer (ATK: 3000)!" Then, a blue-skinned wizard in a red robe appeared on the field. "And I'll then sacrifice him to Ritual Summon my ultimate monster from my deck… Ganondorf, the King of Evil (ATK: 5500)!" CJ smirked as a crimson-haired, crimson-eyed man in black armor appeared on his field.

"5500? I thought it only had 4500 points…" Joey said.

"It was summoned by sacrificing a Dark monster…" Yugi said. "So it gained a spell counter and 1000 extra attack points."

"Wow…" Rebecca said. "What a move…"

CJ looked at Layla as Ganondorf appeared next to him. Aglow on CJ's hand was the Triforce of Power, glowing brightly. On Layla's hand, glowing brightly, was the Triforce of Wisdom.

"Layla… It's time to end this!" CJ exclaimed. "I activate Ganondorf's second effect, allowing him to absorb the attack power of every dark monster in my graveyard and add them to his own (ATK: 11200). Ganondorf, attack the Princess of Destiny!" Layla watched as her Princess exploded (LP: 0).

"Whoa… I didn't realize the King had such a powerful ability…" Layla said.

"He _is_ the King of Evil after all…" CJ chuckled. "And Princess Zelda has never been able to stand up to the King of Evil without the aid of the Hero of Time."

"That's true…" Layla said. "But I didn't think that it would carry over to the cards…"

"The very spirits of Ganondorf, Zelda and Link are sealed within the King of Evil, Princess of Destiny and Hero of Time cards." CJ said.

Layla and CJ stepped down off of the arena.

"Wait CJ… You are next to duel in the first match of the semi-finals." Roland said.

"Who is my opponent?" CJ asked.

"Your opponent will be Miss Stacey…" Roland said.

CJ gasped. _I knew there was a chance I would have to duel Stacey at some point… But, I was hoping it would be the final match… Well… Wisdom lost to Power… Does Courage stand a better chance?_


	13. Battle of the Heart

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Battle of the Heart**

"Attention everyone… The first duel of the semi-finals shall be… The King of Hyrule, the King of Games, the Sage of Shadow and the Bearer of the Triforce of Power… CJ Francis against the Queen of Hyrule, the Sage of Water and the Bearer of the Triforce of Courage… Stacey Francis!"

CJ waited where he was as Stacey stepped up to the dueling arena.

"Roland, do we have to use the same deck throughout the entire tournament or are we permitted to switch?" CJ asked.

"Mr Kaiba?" Roland asked.

"You're free to switch decks." Kaiba said. "I want you to give every duel your hardest effort."

"Okay." CJ said, as he took his deck out of his Duel Disk. He removed a few cards from it and slipped them into a new deck. He shuffled it and slotted it into his Duel Disk.

"Wow… CJ versus Stacey…" Yugi said. "This could be a very exciting match."

"That's an understatement." Shaylene said.

"Look at their hands." Layla added. Glowing brightly on CJ's hand was the Triforce of Power and on Stacey's was the Triforce of Courage. Standing behind CJ was the semi-transparent form of Ganondorf, and behind Stacey was the semi-transparent form of Link.

"I hope you're ready for this, Stacey." CJ said. "I prepared a new deck of new cards just for the finals…"

"Of course I'm ready." Stacey said. "I'm always ready."

"Good." CJ said. "Because it's time yet again for Power and Courage to battle…"

"Then let's duel!" Stacey said.

"I'll begin." CJ said. "And to start, I summon Dark Interlopers (ATK: 1900)." CJ said, as several dark forms of Link appeared on the field. "Next, I activate Sacred Banishment! This allows me to sacrifice my Dark Interlopers and summon up to three Twilight Messengers (ATK: 1800 [x3])." Then, three shadow creatures appeared on the field, all wearing strange stone masks. "Your move."

"I summon Morpha, Giant Aquatic Amoeba (ATK: 1700) and equip it with Longshot!" Stacey said, summoning a small red amoeba within a pillar of water. "Next, I use Longshot's ability to take control of one your Messengers and have it attack another!" CJ watched as two of his Messengers vanished. "Next, I attack your final Messenger with my Amoeba!"

"But, wait… Her Amoeba has less points than his Messenger…" Joey said.

"Twilight Messenger, counter attack!" CJ exclaimed, as his Messenger attack Morpha. Stacey smiled (LP: 4000 – 100) as her creature was destroyed.

"Now…" Stacey said.

"…Since your Morpha was destroyed in battle while equipped with Longshot, you can Special Summon a Sage of Water from your deck." CJ said.

"Yup." Stacey said.

"So that's why she did that…" Yugi said.

"So I summon myself… Stacey, Sage to the Water Temple (ATK: 2700)!" Stacey said, placing her Sage Card on her Duel Disk and stepping forward. "Now, I'll attack your final Messenger!" CJ watched as a blast of water wiped out his final monster (LP: 4000 – 900). "And, then I lay one card face down. Your move."

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" CJ said, as golden swords pierced Stacey's field. "Next, I summon Garo Tribe – Garo Robe (ATK: 2000)!" Then, a creature in brown robe appeared with twin swords appeared on his field. "Your move."

"I activate Heavy Storm!" Stacey said, as CJ's swords were wiped out. "Next, I attack your Garo Robe!" CJ smiled as his Garo collapsed (LP: 3100 – 700).

"To die without leaving a corpse… That is the way of the Garo…" CJ said. "So my Garo Robe is removed from play… My turn. I activate Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards, provided I discard two. Next, I summon Garo Tribe – Garo Robe (ATK: 2000) and activate the spell card, Flame of Destruction!"

"What does that do?" Stacey asked.

"Since three of my monsters are in the graveyard, I can special summon Onox, General of Darkness (ATK: 2800), who gets equipped with Encased Oracle, preventing him from being destroyed in battle!" CJ said, summoning a warrior in golden armor. On the warrior's chestplate was the Gerudo symbol. "Onox, attack Stacey!" Stacey jumped back and removed her Sage Card from her Duel Disk (LP: 3900 – 100).

"I also activate Graceful Charity!" Stacey said, drawing three cards and discarded two. "And that's it for me."

"I summon another Garo Tribe – Garo Robe (ATK: 2000)." CJ said. "And that will be all for me."

"I lay one card face down." Stacey said. "Your move."

"I switch my Garo Robes to defense mode (DEF: 1000 [x2])." CJ said. "Next, I lay one card face down. Go."

"I use Call of the Haunted to revive myself…" Stacey said, stepping onto the field (ATK: 2700). "Next, I equip myself with Sacred Blade of the Fallen Sage (ATK: 3700)! Your move."

"I'll switch Onox to defense mode (DEF: 1700) and end my turn." CJ said.

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Stacey said. "Go."

"I pass." CJ said.

"I activate the field spell, A Legendary Ocean!" Stacey said. "Next, I play Premature Burial to summon Morpha. And next, I sacrifice Morpha to summon Levia Dragon Daedulus, who I'll sacrifice to summon Ocean Dragon Lord – Neo Daedulus (ATK: 3100). Your move."

_Crap… I need to wipe out her Legendary Ocean before she uses Neo Daedulus's ability…_ CJ thought. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy A Legendary Ocean! Your turn."

"I activate Dian Keto the Cure Master!" Stacey said (LP: 4800). "Next, I attack with Ocean Dragon Lord – Neo Daedulus!" CJ watched as one of his Garos was destroyed. "Now, I'll attack the other Garo Robe!"

"I activate my trap, Draining Shield!" CJ said. "So, your attack is negated and I gain 3700 life points (LP: 6100)!"

"Whoa… what a move…" Joey said.

"Your move." Stacey said.

"I switch Garo Robe to attack mode (ATK: 2000) and attack Stacey!" CJ said. "Garo is destroyed and removed from play by its ability (LP: 6100 – 1700). Now, since three of my monsters have been removed from play, I can activate Flame of Sorrow!" CJ said. "This allows me to summon Veran, Sorceress of Shadows (DEF: 2400) who gets equipped with Possessed Oracle, preventing her from being destroyed in battle!" CJ then summoned a blue-skinned sorceress in a purple robe. She had orange hair and on her shoulder pads was the Gerudo symbol. "Finally, I switch Onox to attack mode (ATK: 2800). Go."

"I pass." Stacey said.

"I attack you with Onox, meaning I'll take damage (LP: 4400 – 900)." CJ said. "Now, since Flame of Destruction and Flame of Sorrow are on the field, and my life points are lower than 4000, I can activate Flame of Despair!" Then two witches appeared on CJ's field. One had flaming hair and the other had icy hair. "I summon Gerudo Witch Kotake (ATK: 1700) and Gerudo Witch Koume (ATK: 1900). Next, I activate both their abilities! Thanks to Kotake, I can discard from my hand and increase my life points by 500 (LP: 4000). Then, thanks to Koume, I can discard another card to inflict 500 points of damage to you (LP: 4800 – 500)."

"Whoa… That's an impressive combo…" Joey said.

"But it gets worse…" CJ said. "I tune Kotake and Koume to Synchro Summon Twinrova, Sorceress Sisters (ATK: 2900)!" Then, CJ's witches combined into one garbed in a white robe with flaming and icy hair. In her hands were two staffs: one of fire and one of ice.

"Whoa… He summoned Twinrova?" Yugi gasped.

"Finally, I offer Twinrova as a sacrifice to the Flames of Destruction, Sorrow and Despair…" CJ said.

"He's conducting the Evil's Summoning Ritual!" Layla gasped.

"I summon Ganondorf, the King of Evil (ATK: 5500)!" CJ exclaimed. Lightning began to strike the field as dark clouds covered the arena. The legendary crimson-haired, crimson-eyed King of Evil appeared on the field, carrying a glowing sword. "Ganondorf, attack Ocean Dragon Lord!" Stacey gasped as her dragon exploded (LP: 4300 – 2600). "It's time, honey… Can you stand up to the King of Evil?"

"I lay a card face down and lay a defense monster." Stacey said. "Go."

"Ganondorf, attack Stacey!" CJ said. Stacey jumped back and removed her Sage Card from her Duel Disk (LP: 0). Ganondorf grabbed the Sacred Blade of the Fallen Sage and laughed before vanishing.

"And the winner is… CJ Francis!" Roland exclaimed.

"Good duel, hun." CJ said.

"Thanks." Stacey said.

"Whoa… the King of Evil wiped out the Sage of Water… again…" Layla said. "I guess history _does_ repeat itself."


	14. The Ties of Friendship

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Ties of Friendship**

"Attention everyone! The next duel will be Yugi Moto versus Rebecca Hawkins!"

_Awesome! A rematch with Yugi!_ Rebecca thought. Yugi and Rebecca stepped onto the arena and activated their Duel Disks.

"Ready, Rebecca?" Yugi asked.

"Of course." Rebecca said.

"I'll start with Red Gadget (ATK: 1300) which lets me add Yellow Gadget to my hand." Yugi said, summoning a monster made of red gears. "Next, I play Swords of Revealing Light. Go."

"I summon Mirage Dragon (ATK: 1600)." Rebecca said, summoning a yellow dragon with blue-green long hair. "Then, I throw two cards face down. Go."

"I summon Yellow Gadget (ATK: 1200), which lets me add Green Gadget to my hand." Yugi said. "Go."

"I summon another Mirage Dragon (ATK: 1600)." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I summon Green Gadget (ATK: 1400) and lay a card face down." Yugi said. "Go."

"I sacrifice my two Mirage Dragons to summon Felgrand Dragon (ATK: 2800)!" Rebecca said, summoning a majestic golden dragon. "Now, I end my turn, meaning your swords vanish and I'm free to attack next turn."

"I activate and summon Stronghold the Moving Fortress (DEF: 2000) and thanks to his ability to combine with my gadgets, he gains a boost (ATK: 3000)." Yugi said.

"Too bad he's in defense mode." Rebecca said.

"I can fix that. I play Card Destruction!" Yugi said. "Next, I play Black Luster Ritual and sacrifice two monsters from my hand to summon Black Luster Soldier (ATK: 3000)!" Then, a warrior in navy blue armor appeared on the field. "Attack Felgrand Dragon!" Rebecca watched as her dragon exploded (LP: 4000 – 200). "Finally, I lay a card face down. Go."

"First, with Marie the Fallen One in my graveyard, I gain a life point boost (LP: 4000)." Rebecca said. "Next, I use Call of the Haunted to bring back my Dragon (ATK: 2800), whose ability will give him an attack point boost (ATK: 3800). Finally, I lay two cards face down. Go."

"I switch my monsters to defense mode (Green: 600) (Red: 1500) (Yellow: 1200) (BLS: 2500)." Yugi said. "Go."

"I activate Scapegoat to summon four Sheep Tokens (DEF: 0 [x4])." Rebecca said (LP: 4200). "Next, I activate D Tribe, turning all my monsters into dragons. Finally, I activate Polymerization, combining all my monsters together… creating the Five-Headed Dragon (ATK: 5000)!" Then, a dragon with five heads appeared on the field. One head was made of fire, one was a metallic dragon, another was a tan dragon with spikes on its head, the fourth was the head of a sea serpent, and the last was the head of a dark dragon. "Attack!"

"Activate Mirror Force!" Yugi said. "This will wipe out your dragon!"

"I… end my turn…" Rebecca said.

"I switch my monsters to attack mode (Stronghold: 3000) (Green: 1400) (Red: 1300) (Yellow: 1200) (BLS: 3000)." Yugi said. "And now, face the full-on onslaught of my monsters!"

"Activate trap: Mirror Force!" Rebecca said.

"No!" Yugi gasped as his monsters exploded. "I end my turn."

"I activate Premature Burial!" Rebecca said (LP: 4400 – 800).

"Bringing back your Five-Headed Dragon?" Yugi asked.

"Nope." Rebecca said. "I'm bringing back Felgrand Dragon (ATK: 2800), who will gain the boost from Five-Headed Dragon (ATK: 5200). Felgrand Dragon, attack!"

"I discard Kuriboh, sparing my life points." Yugi said (LP: 4000).

"I end my turn." Rebecca said.

"I lay one card face down." Yugi said. "Go."

"First, Marie boosts my life points (LP: 3800)." Rebecca said. "Let's try this again… Felgrand Dragon, attack Yugi directly!"

"Activate trap: Spellbinding Circle!" Yugi said.

"I end my turn." Rebecca said.

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Go."

"I summon Sapphire Dragon (ATK: 1900)." Rebecca said, summoning a blue dragon. "Attack that defense!"

"You attacked Big Shield Gardna (DEF: 2600)." Yugi said, as Rebecca's life points took a hit (LP: 4000 – 700). "But now my Gardna switches to attack mode (ATK: 100)."

"I end my turn." Rebecca said.

"I switch Big Shield Gardna back to defense mode (DEF: 2600) and summon a monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Your move."

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Rebecca said (LP: 3500). "Sapphire Dragon, attack that defense!"

"You attacked my Marshmallon (DEF: 500)!" Yugi said, summoning a small marshmallow creature. "And when he's attacked, you lose 1000 life points (Rebecca: 2500). And, Marshmallon can't be destroyed in battle."

"Fine." Rebecca said. "I end my turn."

"I throw a card face down." Yugi said. "Go."

"I sacrifice my defense to summon Emerald Dragon (ATK: 2400)." Rebecca said (LP: 2700), summoning a green dragon with emeralds on its back. "Your move."

"I pass." Yugi said.

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Rebecca said (LP: 2900). "Go."

"I sacrifice my two monsters to summon Dark Magician (ATK: 2500)!" Yugi said. "Dark Magician, attack Emerald Dragon!" Rebecca watched as her monster was blown apart by the magician's attack (LP: 3500 – 100). "Your move."

"I switch Sapphire Dragon (DEF: 1600) to defense mode and end my turn." Rebecca (LP: 3100) said.

"Dark Magician, attack Sapphire Dragon!" Yugi said, as his mage wiped out Rebecca's defense. "Your move."

"I activate Dragon's Mirror!" Rebecca said (LP: 3300). "I remove five dragons from my graveyard from play in order to summon a second Five-Headed Dragon!"

"Whoa… she's got another one…" Tea said.

"Finally, I activate The Ties of Friendship!" Rebecca said. "Since I have two monsters on my field that are the same type, but opposite attributes, all spells and traps on your side of the field are destroyed!"

"Oh no!" Joey and Tristan gasped.

"Five-Headed Dragon (ATK: 5000)! Felgrand Dragon (ATK: 5200)!" Rebecca said. "Attack!" Yugi watched as Felgrand wiped out his magician (LP: 4000 – 2700) and Five-Headed Dragon finished off his life points (LP: 0).

"And the winner is Rebecca Hawkins!" Roland exclaimed.

"Yeah! I won!" Rebecca cheered.

"And you did it with the card I gave you… Nice move, Rebecca." Yugi said. CJ then stepped up to the dueling arena.

"Well, Becca." CJ said. "It looks like you and I are facing off in the finals."

Rebecca smiled.

"Yup." She said. "Best friends facing off against each other… This should be good."

"Indeed… A battle of Hyrule's two most renowned archaeologists…" CJ said.

Rebecca and CJ walked to opposite sides of the arena and readied their Duel Disks.


	15. The Ties That Bind

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The Ties That Bind! Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Part 1**

"Finally… Ready for this, Rebecca?" CJ asked.

"Yeah." Rebecca smiled.

"This one's for all the marbles, Bec." CJ said. "You win this, and you're Queen of Games."

"Awesome… Now…" Rebecca said.

"Let's duel!"

"I'll start." CJ said. "I play Graceful Charity… I draw three cards and discard two. Next, I activate Gerudo Fortress! Then, I summon Dark Gerudo Spear Guard (ATK: 1600)." CJ smiled as a red-haired, tan-skinned woman in purple Arabian style clothing appeared on the field, and large mud-brown brick fortress appeared behind CJ. "And thanks to my fortress, she gains 500 points (ATK: 2100), as do all my Dark Gerudo monsters. Next, since Dark Gerudo Spear Guard in on the field, I can Special Summon Dark Gerudo Guard from my hand (ATK: 2200). But there's more… Since Dark Gerudo Guard and Dark Gerudo Spear Guard are together on the field, I can Special Summon another monster from my hand… Dark Gerudo Paladin (ATK: 2800)!" Then, two more red-haired woman appeared on CJ's field. One wore white clothing, and the other wore purple clothing and carried two broadswords.

"Whoa… CJ just summoned three monsters in one turn…" Joey said.

"That's why he took my title…" Yugi added.

"Your move, Rebecca." CJ said.

"I activate Scapegoat!" Rebecca said, summoning four colorful sheep (DEF: 0). "This lets me summon four Sheep Tokens. But I'm getting rid of them by activating Token Thanksgiving! This destroys all tokens on the field and increases my life points by 800 for each token destroyed (LP: 7200). Finally, I summon a defense monster and lay three cards face down. Go."

"Since you summoned five monsters, my Fortress gets 5 Prisoner Counters (PC: 5)." CJ said. "Next, I sacrifice Dark Gerudo Spear Guard to summon Ganondorf, King of Thieves (ATK: 2450)!" Then, a crimson haired crimson eyed man in a red robe appeared on the field. "Ganondorf, attack!"

"You destroyed Sangan, who lets me add a monster from my deck to my hand, provided it has less than 1500 attack." Rebecca said. "And I activate Soul Rope! Now, I pay 1000 life points (LP: 7200 – 1000) to Special Summon The Forgiving Maiden (DEF: 2000)!"

"Dark Gerudo Guard, attack!" CJ said.

"Activate trap: Mirror Force!" Rebecca said. CJ watched as his monsters exploded.

"I end my turn." CJ said.

"I sacrifice The Forgiving Maiden to summon a defense monster." Rebecca said. "Your move."

"I activate Premature Burial!" CJ said. "And thanks to my fortress, I can remove one Prisoner Counter (PC: 6) from it instead of paying the cost of my Premature Burial."

"Whoa… that's a good card." Yugi said.

"Now, thanks to Premature Burial, I'm bringing back Ganondorf, King of Thieves (ATK: 2450)! Ganondorf, attack!"

"You attacked my Millennium Shield (DEF: 3000)!" Rebecca said.

"I should've known…" CJ said (LP: 4000 – 550). "I end my turn."

"I summon a defense monster." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I summon Power Plasma (ATK: 1000) and tune it with Ganondorf for a Synchro Summon!" CJ said, as both monsters were encased in darkness.

"What is he summoning?" Joey asked.

"Yeah… Power Plasma usually tunes with the King of Evil to make the Crimson King of Power…" Stacey said. "So what does it make when tuning with the King of Thieves?"

"When the shadows are devoured by even darker shadows, the curtain pulls back and reveals a world without light!" CJ said. "I summon Hundred Eyes Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" Then, a large black dragon with one hundred purple eyes all over its body appeared on the field.

"Whoa…" Rebecca gasped.

"Hundred Eyes Dragon, attack that face down!" CJ said. Rebecca watched as her monster exploded. "Go."

"I pass." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I activate Flame of Destruction!" CJ said. "Since I have at least three monsters in my graveyard, I can summon Onox, General of Darkness (ATK: 2800), who gets equipped with Encased Oracle, making him indestructible in battle." Then, a golden armored warrior appeared on the field. "Go."

"I lay one card face down." Rebecca said. "Your move."

"I activate Miracle Synchro Fusion!" CJ said. "I remove my Hundred Eyes Dragon and Onox from play in order to summon Dragon Knight Draco Equiste (ATK: 3200)!" Then, CJ summoned a dragonic looking knight in blue armor, wielding a golden javelin.

"Whoa… that's an interesting looking card." Joey said.

"That's a powerful card." Yugi said.

"Draco Equiste! Smash that Millennium Shield!" CJ said. "Your move, Becca."

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I summon Dark Gerudo Pirate (ATK: 2300)." CJ said, summoning a red-haired woman in green Arabian style clothing, carrying two broadswords. "Gerudo Pirate, wipe out that defense! Draco Equiste! Go for the direct attack!" Rebecca stumbled back as CJ's knight attacked her (LP: 7200 – 3200). "Your move."

"I summon a monster in defense mode and lay one card face down." Rebecca said. "Go."

"Dark Gerudo Pirate, attack that defense!" CJ said. "Draco Equiste! Direct attack!"

"Activate De-Fusion!" Rebecca said. "Say goodbye to Draco Equiste!"

_Nice move, Rebecca… Very nice move…_ CJ thought. "I summon Dark Interlopers (ATK: 1900)." Then, a group of dark warriors appeared on the field. "Go."

"I activate Call of the Haunted to revive One-Eyes Shield Dragon (ATK: 900) who I'll then sacrifice to summon Emerald Dragon (ATK: 2400)! Attack that Dark Gerudo Pirate!"

"I activate Dark Gerudo Pirate's ability to switch your dragon to defense mode (DEF: 1400)." CJ said.

"Crap… I end my turn…" Rebecca said.

"I sacrifice Dark Gerudo Pirate and Dark Interlopers to summon Blue Eyes White Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" CJ said, summoning the legendary white dragon. "How's it feel to stare down your dragon?"

"Pretty good… Now let's see if I can beat it." Rebecca said.

"Blue Eyes, attack Emerald Dragon!" CJ said. Rebecca watched as her dragon exploded. "Your move."

"I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" Rebecca said. "Go."

"I pass." CJ said.

"I play Premature Burial (LP: 4000 – 800) to revive Emerald Dragon (ATK: 2400)." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I summon Twilight Messenger (ATK: 1800)." CJ said, summoning a shadow beast. "Go."

"I summon Sapphire Dragon (ATK: 1900)." Rebecca said, summoning a blue dragon. "Go."

"I pass again." CJ said. "So your swords vanish."

"I summon a monster in defense mode." Rebecca said. "Next, I switch Sapphire Dragon (DEF: 1600) and Emerald Dragon (DEF: 1400) to defense mode. Go."

"Blue Eyes, attack Emerald Dragon! Messenger, destroy Sapphire Dragon!" Rebecca sat there and watched as her monsters vanished. "Go."

"I flip summon Lesser Dragon (ATK: 1200). Next, I activate Dragon's Mirror!" Rebecca said. "I remove Lesser Dragon from my field, and every dragon in my graveyard, from play in order to summon Five-Headed Dragon (ATK: 5000)! Five-Headed Dragon, attack Blue-Eyes!" CJ watched as his white dragon vanished (LP: 3450 – 2000). "Go."

"I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" CJ said. "Now, I summon Gerudo Witch Kotake (ATK: 1700) and end my turn." Then, an icy-haired witch appeared on the field.

"I pass." Rebecca said.

"I sacrifice my two monsters to summon Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu (ATK: 3000)!" CJ said. Suddenly, the ground tore open and a large giant creature emerged from the crevasse. It had blue markings all over its body and was surrounded by a dark aura.

"What on Earth is that thing?" Joey asked.

"I'm… not sure…" Yugi said.

"This is an Earthbound Immortal… Legendary creatures of darkness that were sealed beneath the Earth in the form of the Nazca Lines." CJ said. "When the seal began to weaken a few years ago, I began a project to seal the creatures within cards. Ccapac Apu was the first successful seal, so I placed it within my deck. And, he comes with some nice powers… Ccapac Apu, attack Rebecca directly!"

"What?" Everyone gasped.

"The Earthbound Immortals can bypass the opponent's monsters and attack directly." CJ said, as Ccapac Apu slammed his hand down on Rebecca (LP: 4000 – 3000). "Your move Bec."

"My dragon can't attack your immortal as long as those swords are in play, so let's remedy that!" Rebecca said. "I activate Giant Trunade! Now, Five-Headed Dragon, att… What the?" Everyone looked shocked as Ccapac Apu vanished.

"If there's no field spell on the field, the Earthbound Immortals get destroyed." CJ said.

"Then I can win this! Five-Headed Dragon, attack CJ directly and end this duel!" Rebecca said.

"Not quite, Becca!" CJ said. "I won't go down that easily!"


	16. Epilogue: The Ties That Bind, Part 2

**EPILOGUE: The Ties That Bind! Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Part 2**

"Not quite, Becca!" CJ said. "I won't go down that easily! I discard Kuriboh to negate the battle damage this turn!"

"I end my turn." Rebecca said.

"I lay one card face down and activate Swords of Revealing Light, Flame of Destruction and Gerudo Fortress!" CJ said. "However, since Onox has been removed from play, I can't summon him. Now, I summon Garo Tribe – Garo Robe (ATK: 2000) and end my turn."

"I lay one card face down." Rebecca said. "Go."

"I activate Call of the Haunted to revive Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu (ATK: 3000)!" CJ said, as his immortal returned to the field.

"Activate trap: Royal Decree!" Rebecca said. "This negates the effects of all traps on the field, including Call of the Haunted!"

"So my Earthbound Immortal is gone…" CJ said. "I switch Garo to defense mode (DEF: 1000) and end my turn."

"I activate Stamping Destruction to destroy Royal Decree!" Rebecca said (LP: 500). "Next, I activate Imperial Order!"

"No way!" Yugi gasped.

"Five Headed Dragon destroy Garo!" Rebecca said. CJ smirked as his monster vanished.

"To die without leaving a corpse… That is the way of the Garo…" CJ said. "Meaning my Garo is removed from play."

"I end my turn." Rebecca said.

"I pass." CJ said. "And you're left with two choices… Pay 700 life points with Imperial Order…"

"And lose the duel because of it." Yugi said.

"Or let it get destroyed and wait out the Swords." CJ said.

"I'll let it get destroyed." Rebecca said. "And I'll pass my turn."

"I activate Flame of Sorrow, allowing me to summon Veran, Sorceress of Shadows (DEF: 2400) who gets equipped with Possessed Oracle, so she can't be destroyed in battle." CJ said, summoning a blue-skinned sorceress in a purple robe. "Then, since Flame of Destruction and Flame of Sorrow are both on my field, and my life points are less than 4000, I can activate Flame of Despair."

"The three Flames!" Stacey and Shaylene gasped.

"This allows me to summon Gerudo Witch Kotake and Gerudo Witch Koume!" CJ said. "But since Koume is a tuner, I will tune them together to Synchro Summon Twinrova, Sorceress Sisters (ATK: 2900)!" Then, a witch in a white robe appeared on the field. Half of her hair was fire and the other half was ice.

"He's gonna conduct the Evil's Summoning Ritual!" Layla exclaimed

"And this… is why I'm the King of Games." CJ said. "I send Twinrova to the graveyard, along with my three flames… so I can summon Ganondorf, the King of Evil (ATK: 5500)!" Then, the crimson-haired, crimson-eyed, black armor garbed King of Evil appeared on the field. "Finally, I end my turn with one card face down."

"I lay one card face down." Rebecca said. "Go."

"My move." CJ said.

"Activate trap: Burst Breath!" Rebecca said. "Now, I sacrifice Five-Headed Dragon to destroy all monsters on your field with less than 5000 defense!"

"No way!" Joey gasped. "Rebecca took down the King of Evil!"

"Yes, but by destroying Veran, she allowed me to Special Summon Dark Fairy Veran (ATK: 2900)!" CJ said, as a small evil looking green fairy monster appeared on his field. "And when she's summoned, I can reactivate Flame of Sorrow and once again, summon Veran, Sorceress of Shadows (ATK: 2500)! And she once again equips herself with Possessed Oracle."

"Wait, what?" Rebecca gasped.

"The cycle begins again…" CJ said. "Or in truth… the cycle ends. It's my turn, and your field is completely empty."

"Uh oh…" Rebecca said. 

"I sacrifice my two monsters to summon the card I just drew… my second Blue Eyes White Dragon (ATK: 3000)!" CJ said. Rebecca looked at the card and gasped. On it was a picture of both CJ and Rebecca, each holding up a card. Flying above them was the white dragon.

"Wait… Is that us on the card?" Rebecca asked.

"Yup." CJ said. "Blue Eyes, attack directly and end this duel!" Rebecca fell onto her back as Blue Eyes attacked her (LP: 0). CJ then walked over and helped her up.

"And the winner… And still King of Games… CJ Francis!" Roland exclaimed.

"So, what's the deal with that Blue Eyes?" Rebecca asked.

"It's a special card I created just for you." CJ said. "A fifth Blue Eyes White Dragon."

"Wow… Thanks." Rebecca said.

"You're welcome." CJ said.

"All right everyone… That's the end of the KC Grand Championship, so you can all leave now." Kaiba said, before boarding a helicopter and flying away.

_Damnit! I can't believe I lost to CJ again! I will get him one day, and I will take that King of Evil! _Kaiba thought, as the chopper flew away.

_**Meanwhile…**_

A large, blue boar-like creature in black armor and a crimson cape stood in a dark room. In the creature's hand was a silver trident.

Standing before the creature were three other creatures: One was a purple-skinned mage in a purple robe and pointed cap. Next to him was a blue-skinned mage in a red robe. The last was a creature in a black robe. On his head was a metal mask similar to the head of a chameleon.

"Lord Ganon… What shall we do?" The one in the mask asked.

"My power is not fully restored…" The boar creature replied.

"What do you wish for us to do?" The mage in purple asked.

"Seek a power that will restore my energy." The boar said. "I must reclaim my Triforce of Power from that wretched King… We will make his darkness strong again, and it shall destroy him from the inside, allowing me to reclaim my rightful power."

"But how, my Lord?" The mage in purple asked.

"Simple, Vaati." Ganon said. "Your power, combined with Zant's, shall be the force to fuel my revival."

"How so?" The chameleon-masked creature asked.

"The new Sages…" Ganon said. "Their powers… With any luck, they shall rebuild the Mirror of Twilight and re-establish Hyrule's connection to the land of the Sky People… With Hyrule's ties rebuilt, HE shall rise… The one who started it all…"

"Do you mean…?" The chameleon masked one asked.

"Yes, Zant…" Ganon said. "Lord Ghirahim shall rise again. And his rebirth will begin my return to Power… And young CJ's fall from grace!"

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
